Jane McGonigal always attracts huge audiences at TEDGlobal’s conferences. With her lectures focusing on a game as a tool for real life interactions and even extending life expectancy, it is easy to see why. With herself as an example she explains how games can make a difference and improve one’s life.
At the TEDGlobal in 2012 Jane McGonigal presented interesting view of games as a tool for improving life standards.
While struggling with health and mental health condition after experiencing severe concussion, McGonigal created Jane the concussion slayer. The game later became SuperBetter, one of McGonigal’s most known games. McGonigal said that:
I’ve knew from researching the psychology of games for more than a decade that when we play a game, and this is in scientific literature, we tackle challenges with more creativity, more determination, more optimism and are more likely to reach to the others for help.
According to McGonigal, this in turn might extend one’s life expectancy.
McGonigal raised a slightly different topic at the next TEDGlobal 2013 conference.
She presented a viewpoint that games can be used as a social connection device. While playing massive multiplayer thumb wrestling with her audience, McGonigal explained how participation in a game can evoke many positive emotions such as creativity, curiosity or joy. Enjoying games with other people can also trigger process of sharing those emotions and can bring on mutual understanding.
Regardless of one’s own opinion on gaming and its purpose, Jane McGonigal’s lectures present an interesting outlook on today’s society.
Jane McGonigal’s efforts to make a difference don’t go unnoticed. McGonigal’s games, for example Evoke and Superstruct gained a lot of publicity and awards.
