Harnessing the healing power of digital games
For Jane McGonigal, the name of the game is resilience. The digital game, that is.
After 15 years playing, designing and studying virtual games, she’s convinced that people who play them develop valuable skills for overcoming real-life problems.
As a gamer herself, McGonigal naturally adopted a “gaming mindset” in 2009 while struggling to recover from a debilitating head injury.
She developed a series of playful strategies to cope. Then she shared them with others facing serious challenges ranging from bereavement to cancer. The response was so positive that she turned her idea into an online game, now the subject of her new book SuperBetter: A revolutionary approach to getting stronger, happier, braver and more resilient.
Both a randomized control study and clinical trial in the U.S. have shown promising results for SuperBetter in helping players recover from conditions such as depression, anxiety and traumatic brain injuries.
The Star reached McGonigal at her home in San Francisco.
What is SuperBetter?
It’s a method for learning how to use skills we all naturally develop when we play games — creativity, determination, asking other people for help, resilience in the face of setbacks — in everyday life. Everybody has those strengths when they play, whether it’s sports or videogames or cards. But we don’t often tackle real-life obstacles with that mindset. It’s a way to apply the gameful mindset to increase happiness and life satisfaction.
What do you mean by “gameful mindset?”
It’s both psychological and neurochemical. Games increase dopamine available in our reward pathways, which makes us more determined, more likely to set ambitious goals, less likely to give up. Psychological barriers come down. It’s easier to ask someone to be your ally in a game than to ask for help in real life.
How do games create that?
Playing games requires a special kind of attention called flow. You’re fully engaged, using all your personal skills and resources, working at the edge of your ability. The feeling is one of optimism and determination. Digital games in particular are de- signed to increase difficulty the minute we get better. When you’re in flow, blood-flow patterns in your brain are conducive to positive psychological outcomes. You have less anxiety, less boredom, over time less depression. It’s the same patterns as when you meditate.
Are you saying games can be almost therapeutic?
Yes, absolutely. When I had my concussion, I came out on the other side feeling like a stronger version of myself just from playing this kind of trivial game I called SuperBetter. When I saw it having the same impact for people with cancer or grieving the loss of a husband, that made me dig into the scientific literature to understand how. I started to see the connection between things like cogni- tive behavioural therapy, positive psychology, even Buddhism and spiritual practices, and things we do in games.
Can that happen with conventional games?
Humans have been playing games as long as there’s been civilization. And the reason why we play, I would argue, has always been to get stronger socially and psychologically. But there are benefits to digital games that are harder to get from card games or board games. Most traditional games have been strictly competitive, though there are new ones like Pandemic you can play co-operatively. But that was one of the innovations of digital gaming. Monopoly doesn’t get harder the more you play; neither does Go Fish. But there are benefits to playing something as simple as Angry Birds where you’re forced to try to improve.
What about the downsides that parents worry about?
Every day I hear from parents asking, is my kid playing too much, are they playing the wrong kind of games? Will they still benefit if they play a violent game, or if Minecraft is the only one they play? What matters more is whether they play with people they know. If Dad or Mom are playing with them, if siblings or friends are playing together, you’re going to have so many social and emotional benefits that content is kind of a moot point. Likewise if they only play one game, as long as it’s still challenging.
Is there a bad time to play games?
It’s never good to be playing to block feelings or escape reality. That’s the kind of playing most closely correlated with addiction. It sounds like a paradox because I talk about how you can use games to treat anxiety or depression or loneliness. The (distinction) is, are you playing with purpose?
Are you saying “I feel lonely, I’m going to play this social network game because I want to be in contact with a bunch of cousins and old colleagues I haven’t talked to in awhile?” Or “I feel bad, I’m just going to shut down my feelings?” But you can’t (play purposefully) unless you understand all the benefits of games and how you get them.
What about people who don’t play digital games?
If you never pick up a video game but are willing to learn about them, you can still apply these ideas to your life. Your games may be bridge or golf or poker or soccer and if you’re passionate about them, then you are developing the gameful mindset. Jane McGonigal is scheduled to speak at the Bloor Hot Docs Cinema on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. For more information visit ramsaytalks.com.