The Power of Games

I watched this really amazing Ted Talk this morning while I was getting ready for the day. Typically I watch documentaries or Ted Talks on Netflix while I'm making my coffee and breakfast in the morning --I think it helps puts me in an analytical mood for the day (helpful when one is about to spend the rest of the day thinking, scheming, and cognitive science-ing). Now that I have an iPhone I can stream these talks on my phone using my home wifi as an internet source, and that way the wise words of the brilliant featured presenters that grace the Ted Talk stage can follow me around wherever I go during my morning routine.

This morning as I did my hair in the bathroom, I listened to a talk that was categorized under the "Life Hacks" series. "Life Hacks" are relatively short talks about small ways in which one's life can be improved. Topics include meditation, body language, and (as was the case with this morning) the power of games in our everyday life.

There is no doubt that games are a big part of our lives. They take just about every form possible: pencil and paper games, board games, card games, verbal games, physical team sports, non team physical games, video games, computer games (online and offline). They also encompass all different kinds of skills -- some are strategic, some rely on luck, some are a bit of both. Some games require physical coordination and strategic skill (and those are to be avoided at all costs! ...kidding).
In her talk, game designer Jane McGonigal discussed the importance of different types of play -- how viewing challenges in life through the lens of strategic game play can positively impact quality of life and ultimately perceptions of happiness. While bed-ridden during recovery of a severe concussion, McGonigal invented an internal game she dubbed "Jane the Concussion Slayer" in which she received hypothetical life points for small bouts of exercise and social interaction, slowly working her way to a complete recovery.

While my situation certainly isn't that of Jane's (who was confined to 30 days without being allowed to watch movies or TV, read books, or go anywhere while her brain recovered and healed) games have recently become more important in my life. As I mentioned above, I have recently become the proud user of an iPhone, and spend a good deal of my energy on said phone staying connected to the people who mean the most to me. Much of that contact revolves around the games that I can now play with those people.

These phone games (Words with Friends, Draw Something, Ruzzle, etc.) let me know that somewhere, no matter how many miles away, my mom is kicking my butt AGAIN -- or that my Grandmother just played another word in Words with Friends, meaning she's still awake and that I have time this evening - even though it's late - to give her a call and chat for a while. It lets me know that Eric is still a good artist but always picks hard things to convey with a simple line drawing in Draw Something, and that my sister's drawings of school buses and Hummers look the same.


I think people tend to scoff when young people talk about their phone being their "lifeline", or being the number one thing they can't imagine life without. This topic was brought up on the local radio station that I tune into here in DeKalb last week, and the hosts of the morning show couldn't seem to stay away from an incredulous "are you kidding me???!".
I felt a sudden urge for the first time in my life to call the station and set them straight about the benefits of having near constant internet and cellular access in a society where more often than not, job opportunities and important career or life moves require an individual to pick up and relocate..if only temporarily. My call-in was featured a few minutes later, and got a lot of positive feedback from listeners I know are in my situation too.
We've all got to stay sane, work hard, and in our spare moments...try to beat our boyfriend's mom at yet another word game ;)