Introduction
Video games have in the recent past increased in popularity because of its use in entertaining various individuals. Video games have evolved beyond their fast-changing reflexes and control presses. Computer and video games have been able to play a wider part of the traditional landscape for a minimum period of three decades (Adam, 2021). Just before attaining the age of 21, the average number of Americans playing video and computer games utilizes between 6,000 and 39,000 hours (Penenberg, 2010). “The American Time Use Survey” shows persons aged between 15 and 19 years spend an average of 0.85 hours every week to play video games and use computers (Cunningham, Engelstätter, & Ward, 2016). A trait explaining the virtuosos in the hours of practice is estimated to be ten thousand (Penenberg, 2010). About 350 million individuals spend on average a collective 3 billion hours weekly playing video games (Penenberg, 2010). Speaking on a personal level, video games yield a means to providing a link offering the way to fix the reality within the real-world context.
The availability of many persons playing computer and video games has provided a good venue for addressing the day to day life challenges. These fixable reality problems may be overcome in different aspects. This paper will explore five of the functional aspects essential for fixing the issues. The aspects include raising the players’ awareness, alleviation of anxiety and health-related as well as mental problems, maintaining the connection between the users and the real-world hitches, aid in learning programs, and providing solutions for the real issues.
Video and Computer Games Fix Reality by Raising the Awareness of the Players
The outbreak of the COVID-19 has forced many governments across the globe to shut down their economies. The closing of the financial resources by different countries was a move to help hold the virus spread the word’s inhabitants. This prompted individuals to explore alternative means of escaping the pandemic’s ravaging effects through playing video games (Ko & Yen, 2020). Individuals staying at home shifted their attention to entertaining themselves at home during this time. The engagement of multiplayer users increased by about 130%, with new friendship ties of about 23 million people registered through platforms such as Xbox Live Service (Park, 2020). The rise in the number of users indicates the upswing in the gaming product awareness campaign’s popularity.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recognized the importance of gaming to prevent and avoid the increasing intensity of the spreading pandemic since it created awareness. This resulted in the WHO launching a Play Apart Together for the sensitization campaign within the 18 available leading gaming industries. These industries were required to send messages throughout the games to encourage the network users to comply and respect the set WHO’s guidelines. The guidelines included maintaining physical distance, respiratory respect, and hand hygiene (Johnston, Ross, & Whitney, 2020). The initiative educates the masses on COVID-19 related matters through the sent messages.
Incorporating the self-proclaimed COVID-19 messages into the gaming industry with an aim of targeting millions of participants in computer and video games is a well calculated move. The messages were relayed within hours in the platform to educate and create awareness among the players (Johnston, Ross, & Whitney, 2020). They could understand the mode of transmission of the virus and, therefore, assist in slowing down the pace by which the disease is spread.
Furthermore, the participants aim at finding more details regarding the pandemic. They are interested in establishing how COVID-19 is spread and seek to know the subsequent effect after contraction. The data obtained from the video gaming Plague Inc. Company show over 130 million participants have entered the platform during this gaming period (Adam, 2020). The Plague Inc. became a platform for learning for the participants of video games (Adam, 2020). The Center for Disease Control (CDC) and WHO have showered praises to the company for creating awareness of the deadly infectious disease while at the same time maintaining its evidence-based technique (Adam, 2020). The Plague Inc. Company move was a control mechanism which ensured its customers remained safe after getting the relevant COVID-19 information within the platform.
Games provide a stronger claim on the functioning of the world’s works. The world’s functioning will be completed by the processes embodied in it together with the constructed models. This is an indication of the gaming plat. The exhibited understanding of the game rules by a user indicates the likelihood to understand and possess more information regarding the outbreak, spread, and the potential control measures of COVID-19 (Khan, 2013). Similarly, the platform provides this information in a sequence comparable to story-telling to the audience, who are the particular game participants. The information relayed also regards the challenges and the current situation facing the entire world (McGonigal, 2012). This prepares the users for a likely similar situation and prepares their minds on how to overcome the challenging episodes.
Games can fix real issues through the alleviation of anxiety and health-related mental problems
Games are applicable in creating awareness regarding a certain reality issue. The gaming industry provides a social platform to alleviate anxiety and health-related mental problems caused by drug abuse. Creating opportunities for participating in gaming activities is essential in reducing drug abuse among the affected persons in reality. The participants will be engaged in gaming activities on these platforms and, in the long-run, have no time for indulging in drug abuse.
It is important to understand the reasons why people spend significant playing video games. McGonigal (2012) summarizes the four points as to why the users spend good amounts of their time on the platform during her talk. The reasons outlined are skewed towards the achievements realized by the user. The need to realize more points which measure achievement has provided motivation and made them spend more of their time on this platform. Similarly, they can learn the problems facing the players within the same but real-world sport. These problems they are exposed to provide them with an avenue of offering the best solution, building togetherness, cooperation, trust, and a good social association.
There are a number of theories which have been coiled to enhance people’s involvement to video games. According to Deci and Ryan (2012), the theory for self-determination refers to the features availed by a game. The features possess three essential psychological, mental needs for the individual’s well-being. They include association, autonomous and competence, leading to greater motivation and well-being when the needs are met (Pallavicini & Mantovani, 2018). In this COVID-19 period, the isolation process during the public health sector’s emergency sections may create insecurities, emotional stress, confusion, and stigmatization in life. These issues result in mental health-related problems (Pfefferbaum & North, 2020). The involvement in the gaming activities provides the essential basic needs psychologically for the players.
For instance, a player can make a choice which he/she sticks to when intending to achieve something in the gaming industry. The users are capable of solving the real issues in the gaming platform effectively and efficiently. Emotional interaction is created with their partners in the games (Bullen & Chen, 2020). Therefore, the self-determination theory helps the participants relieve the unending and stress-related health issues (Pallavicini & Mantovani, 2018). A common problem among the youths is substance abuse mental-related issues (Elsaesser, 2020). The inability to address mental-related issues is consequential to society. Games provide the best remedy for real issues such as alcoholism and substance abuse through the satisfaction of basic psychological needs.
Games fix the reality-related issues through maintaining the connection between the users and the real-world hitches
According to McGonigal’s (2012) argument, games are essential tools in managing a powerful friendship between the participants on a gaming platform. Games are applicable in communicating specifically in this pandemic era. The social protocol for isolation is achieved through the use of multiple games (Soyka et al., 1993). Moreover, the research depicts isolation and loneliness to exacerbate stress, which may result in cardiovascular, immune, and mental-related health issues (McGonigal, 2012). Maintaining a social platform for connecting multiple users is believed to reduce loneliness during these isolating periods (Schieppati & Remuzzi, 2005). Therefore, cardiovascular, immune, and mental related health issues consuming a significant budget of a country’s health care program unaffordable by the developing countries will be avoided (Cacioppo et al., 2002). Therefore, the created stable connection in the gaming world has significantly witnessed a reduction in a country’s healthcare program’s budget consumption levels.
Games fix the reality-related issues through the blended learning programs experience for solving employees’ developmental challenges
Gaming is essential in minimizing the use of teaching boards or children’s learning activities. Serious games entail incorporating reality to assist young learners in programming their learning environment to a more engaging and enjoyable means. In this way, a solution is provided towards assisting learners in computational thinking and coding environments. The games are essential in providing the solution to the reality-learning-related issues and avail more opportunities. Similarly, gaming platforms avail a non-pharmacological method for minimizing the pre-operative anxiety levels in children. The introduction of games such as HospiAvontuur in children produced a positive result towards preparing them for pre-operative (Vrancken, Gryse & Spooren, 2019). The game is used in premedication to reducing the side effects possessing a negative impact on the children.
Studies have indicated a registered improvement in the errors committed by surgeons who participated in the gaming platform. The estimated number of surgeons participating in gaming activities three hours weekly were found to committing a level 37% of errors while 27% worked faster in laparoscopic surgery (Dobnik, 2004). The games require maximum concentration when a participant is playing. Therefore, playing games reduces the errors arising during surgeries and will increase patients’ real-life survival chances.
Gaming as a means of creating reality-related problems
However, video games depicting violent scenes may result in the players adopting such behaviors in a real-world context. The essential concern is the violence witnessed within the setting of the video games. The Federal Trade Commission has filed six petitions to the United States (U.S) Congress seeking to make the matter punishable by law (Cunningham, 2016). This has seen the formulation of law in California to prohibit and ban the sale of violence-based games to the minor (Cunningham, 2016). Therefore, every government has to ensure its citizens have access to video and computer game content which does not contain violent behavior. Violent behavior may prompt the player to commit a heinous crime punishable by the law.
Gaming as a cause of health-related disorders
Furthermore, gaming results to health risks associated with players who excessively play. Arms and hands are repeatedly used in games leading to overuse injuries (Grinspoon, 2020). Overuse injuries are caused by actions which repetitively make use of the tendons and muscles leading to developing inflammation and pain. These injuries if given an allowance to proceed would progress and develop into weakness and numbness (Grinspoon, 2020). Similarly, majority of players develop carpel tunnel syndrome which is associated with nerve inflammation in the wrist causing numbness and pain. Players also suffer from de Quervain’s tenosynovitis which is thumb’s tendons swelling inflaming and restricting its movement (Grinspoon, 2020). Therefore, gaming causes health related-related disorders associated with too much playing.
Conclusion
Concluding, the world of gaming possesses more solutions which are essential in fixing reality-related issues. The argument by McGonigal not only shows the importance of video games but also has proven how the platform possesses better aspects which outweigh the bad ones. From the discussion in this paper, this has been proven throughout the discussion falling within the six main categories. Some of the five essential aspects discussed herein to prove how video games are applicable in fixing reality include: maintaining the connection between the users and the real-world hitches, raising the players’ awareness, alleviation of anxiety and health-related mental problems, aid in learning programs, and providing solutions for the real issues. However, it worth noting some games produced for sale are violent. The production of violent games results in devastating and detrimental effects to the user and the people around them. This calls for enacting laws which will overlook and oversee the production and use of games.
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