They feel connected and try to help their community out, just like they would do in reality. In these games, people feel that they are part of a community, which works toward a certain goal. Just because games do not have a measurable material value, does not mean that they do not possess any meaning. They could also be used for reaching goals much bigger than that and solving common problems. People love winning when they are playing games, and they become competitive, which accounts for better results.īut making mundane tasks fun is not the only thing they can be used for. Then, why don’t we learn how to “gamify” mundane, hard or challenging activities, and thus make ourselves more prosperous. Well, we all know that games are fun, right? In fact, some of the games out there can help people immensely on the path to developing essential skills to live a more purposeful life. Also, they feel happy when they play.Īnd, let’s not forget that if they fail, they people do not bear serious consequences. Games offer people something that is not an integral part of the actual reality. Then what is the real reason people get hooked on games? However, this reason is too simple to be true. In fact, it is believed that the primary reason people play games is escapism, or the need to escape reality for an amount of time. Many people criticize violence portrayed in video games or connect games to procrastination and nonproductivity. However, many times we associate games with adverse effects that they have on human life and mental health. They just change forms – nowadays video games are what is popular. She is an author, a Director of Games Research and Development at the Institute of the Future in Palo Alto, California and a creator of alternate reality games.

Jane McGonigal is a researcher on game perception and game development. We recommend it to all gamers, as well as to parents who are worried about their children’s gaming habits. It explains how games work, why people find them appealing, how they influence our realities, and how people can use them to make an improvement in their lives. Gaming is the talk of the town lately, and “Reality is Broken” offers an interesting view of it. Who Should Read “Reality is Broken” and Why? 5 min read ⌚ Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World

Reality is broken by jane mcgonigal