games-as-a-behavioral-change-medium

Games as a Behavioral Change Medium

Posted by in Social & Psychology

Dr. Craig A. Anderson, a well-known psychologist at Stanford University, has spent over forty years researching the phenomenon of behavioral paradigm shifts due to video games. According to his clinical findings, the tendency of adopting the same behavior increases by 82 percent in avid gamers. Human behavior is highly reliant upon the environment and the surroundings. Implications of individual behavioral and emotional adoption have a wider scope. The emotional state of an individual is directly linked to the action he or she performs, and the emotions come forward due to learned behaviors. For instance, because of playing violent video games, an individual learns rage and aggression. Constant interaction with the same content forces the gamer to implement what they have learned.

Taking Advantage of Time Spent on Gaming

If we analyze the findings of Dr. Anderson as stated above, we may generalize saying positive behaviors may also be taught using the medium of video games. In fact, video games can help us to enhance positivity all around us. As Elbert Hubbard once said, “Positive anything is better than negative nothing.” We can turn things positive by exploiting the advantageous opportunities prevailing in the society. Video gaming is on the top of the list of these gray areas. Video games are the best alternative for spreading awareness amongst young gamers whose role in our society’s future.

Beneficial Entertainment

The definition of entertainment differs for everyone. In today’s world, sources of entertainment are numerous regardless of their impacts on our lives and society. Patterns of entertainment are required to be optimized in order to make this world a better place for upcoming generations. If we use the concept of “beneficial entertainment” in society, we can achieve tremendous results in terms of a rationalized culture with a high tolerance for accommodating cultural diversity.

Cultural Change from Digital Experiences

Technology and media have caused a major shift in cultures and societies. There is no phenomenon of reviewing the positive effects of the digital age. However, current times are calling for positivity, notwithstanding the choice of medium. We can employ video gaming to intensify the effects of positivity among individuals. Inviting avid gamers to experience social gaming is an innovative idea that will help to attain specific outcomes.

Games for Social Change

Working towards societal welfare through video games is a great way to target young audiences. It is a soft way of pushing the millennial generation towards social wellbeing. Motion Stride has introduced the only game of its type. The game is all about adoption and keeping dogs as pets. Certain features have been introduced in the game that builds the player’s emotions towards the love of animals, especially little dogs. The rationale behind this game is quite clear: it aims to bring forth social change in terms of love, peace, and collectivism. It is just like a breeze of positivity in the storm of detestation and ignorance. We urgently need to cater to the untold needs of society’s deprived populace. For instance, purchasing pets have been so common in our society, while in view of societal welfare, the act seems to be unethical. Pets are sought after to become part of our family; thus, we ought to adopt a family member rather than buy it after bargaining with the seller. Because of this, the game is aimed to inject positive norms into society. It teaches gamers about the food, shelter, and resource flow requirements that you would need to manage and sustain while keeping a dog as a pet. It offers you a kind of simulated environment where you care for a pet and fulfills all its needs. If we aspire to take a positive measure, it would never go idle.