A Case for Video Games

According to the New York Times, by the age of 21, the typical American has spent 10,000 hours playing computer games.  The constant question has been "Why are so many people wasting their time?  However,  now some experts are asking other questions, such as "Why are these games so much more absorbing than the real world?  How can problem-solving skills used for these games be beneficial?"  In the past, puzzles and games were considered instructional tools.  The emperor Charlemagne charged a young scholar with the task of compiling "Problems to Sharpen the Young."  Once puzzles and gaming "went digital," and became more popular, it was called "escapism" or "addiction."

One thing many players enjoy about online gaming is the fact that they overcome obstacles in pursuit of a goal.  They get instantaneous feedback and positive encouragement from the computer and other players when they do overcome an obstacle.  They are rewarded as the game goes on, and even when they fail over and over, they continue on until they complete the challenge.

The home screen for ChoreWars

Some games could prove to have a positive impact.  For example, in Cruel 2 B Kind, a game developed by Dr. McGonigal, players advance by being nice to strangers in public places.  Families are also fans of ChoreWars, an online game in which children earn real rewards, like choosing music for the next care ride, by doing chores.  One important thing that can be taken away from games is that you can turn the sense of "failing" to "haven't succeeded yet."  If that concept can be applied to real life, there might be a case for video games.

A character in the ChoreWars game