WEBVTT 1 00:00:00.080 --> 00:00:02.640 Oh hey, it's that guy down the hall who wears 2 00:00:02.680 --> 00:00:04.599 fanny packs, and now you want to wear a fanny pack. 3 00:00:04.639 --> 00:00:06.719 But if he notices, it'll be weird, but maybe he'll 4 00:00:06.759 --> 00:00:10.240 be flattered. Ali Ward here with a sixty four bit 5 00:00:10.480 --> 00:00:14.759 version of the ninth episode of Smologies. What is Smologies? 6 00:00:14.919 --> 00:00:17.519 I'm so glad you asked. So we took full ologies 7 00:00:17.559 --> 00:00:19.399 episodes and then we sliced them and diced them up 8 00:00:19.399 --> 00:00:22.519 to make these really bite sized, classroom friendly edits of 9 00:00:22.559 --> 00:00:25.320 our deep dive classics. So if you have not listened 10 00:00:25.320 --> 00:00:28.679 to the original full length episode of Litology and you 11 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.799 don't mind some not safe for school details and lots 12 00:00:32.799 --> 00:00:36.159 of swearing, go back listen to that version. The link 13 00:00:36.240 --> 00:00:37.520 is in the show notes. But if you only have 14 00:00:37.560 --> 00:00:40.000 about twenty minutes, or you need a g rated version 15 00:00:40.240 --> 00:00:42.719 that's suitable for all ages, you're in the right place. 16 00:00:43.759 --> 00:00:46.320 Let the games begin, Okay. In this episode, we sit 17 00:00:46.359 --> 00:00:50.439 down with lotologist and game designer Speaker and someone I 18 00:00:50.560 --> 00:00:53.679 was just talking about and quoting her in last week's 19 00:00:53.880 --> 00:00:57.840 full length Neuropathology episode about concussion therapy. So she has 20 00:00:57.880 --> 00:01:01.960 done two wildly popular time talks, written two New York 21 00:01:02.000 --> 00:01:06.439 Times best selling books, including one called Reality Is Broken. 22 00:01:06.799 --> 00:01:09.599 She also wrote the twenty fifteen release Super Better, and 23 00:01:09.640 --> 00:01:11.799 she has a new book coming out March twenty second, 24 00:01:11.920 --> 00:01:14.000 twenty twenty two. I just asked her about it today. 25 00:01:14.000 --> 00:01:16.719 It's called Imaginable. It's all about how we can play 26 00:01:16.799 --> 00:01:20.840 games and use our imagination to predict otherwise hard to 27 00:01:20.920 --> 00:01:24.359 predict futures. She earned her PhD from the University of 28 00:01:24.359 --> 00:01:28.000 California at Berkeley in performance studies, where she went on 29 00:01:28.120 --> 00:01:32.200 to teach game design and game theory. And another little 30 00:01:32.599 --> 00:01:35.159 fun fact, she was named one of the twenty most 31 00:01:35.200 --> 00:01:39.920 Inspiring Women of the World by Oprah. Just fun facts, 32 00:01:40.159 --> 00:01:43.519 but she's known the best as the inventor and the 33 00:01:43.560 --> 00:01:46.280 co founder of Super Better, which is a game that's 34 00:01:46.319 --> 00:01:50.760 helped more than a million people tackle actual, real life 35 00:01:50.840 --> 00:01:53.879 health problems. And if that isn't enough, she also teaches 36 00:01:53.920 --> 00:01:57.000 at Stanford University. She's the director of Game Research and 37 00:01:57.079 --> 00:02:01.359 Development at the Institute for Their Future. So a lodologist, 38 00:02:01.519 --> 00:02:04.439 she is one. And litology is a real word. I 39 00:02:04.480 --> 00:02:06.879 swear I looked it up. It means the study of games. 40 00:02:06.959 --> 00:02:10.280 It comes from the Latin word lu dare to play, 41 00:02:10.599 --> 00:02:14.560 so play. Yeah, the word was coined sometime around the 42 00:02:14.680 --> 00:02:17.599 nineteen fifties, so it didn't mean video games back then 43 00:02:17.840 --> 00:02:21.919 because time machines are not a thing. But nowadays it 44 00:02:21.960 --> 00:02:25.479 can encompass all kinds of gameplay, from sports to card 45 00:02:25.520 --> 00:02:28.680 games and of course yes, video games. So in this 46 00:02:28.919 --> 00:02:34.439 small smologies, condensed clean episode, we cover how video games 47 00:02:34.520 --> 00:02:38.680 can help improve brain function and build tenacity. We talk 48 00:02:38.719 --> 00:02:44.199 about gamifying your life, how online communities kind of translate 49 00:02:44.240 --> 00:02:47.400 to relationships in real life, and how different games have 50 00:02:47.439 --> 00:02:50.199 different effects on the brain. Also, how much is too 51 00:02:50.319 --> 00:02:54.560 much gameplay? I know we all want to know, and 52 00:02:54.639 --> 00:02:59.120 also essentially video games good or bad. So let's presstart 53 00:02:59.159 --> 00:03:01.599 on a conversation that will one up our brains and 54 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:06.639 unlock some achievements with litterrologist and game designer doctor Jane 55 00:03:06.840 --> 00:03:23.879 mcgonagaal she her. 56 00:03:18.039 --> 00:03:22.560 Code knowledge. 57 00:03:27.280 --> 00:03:30.360 Can you tell me kind of how games change the 58 00:03:30.400 --> 00:03:32.240 way we think or what happens in the brain. What 59 00:03:32.280 --> 00:03:34.960 happens is dopamine and serotonin, like what's going on in 60 00:03:35.039 --> 00:03:35.800 that brainy soup? 61 00:03:35.919 --> 00:03:38.000 Yeah, Okay, there's like so much I want people to 62 00:03:38.039 --> 00:03:41.240 know about this, and they're two big pieces, and so 63 00:03:41.280 --> 00:03:43.520 I want to tell both of them because not everybody 64 00:03:44.360 --> 00:03:47.639 like benefits from playing video game. It takes them out 65 00:03:47.680 --> 00:03:49.879 of reality, it takes them out of their social relations 66 00:03:50.039 --> 00:03:52.439 and their goals. So I want to preface what I'm gonna 67 00:03:52.439 --> 00:03:55.879 say by this doesn't naturally happen for all people like 68 00:03:55.960 --> 00:03:58.199 the good things, and there are ways that you can 69 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:00.840 if you don't have a good relationship with gaming, that 70 00:04:00.879 --> 00:04:03.080 you can change it so that you're more likely to 71 00:04:03.120 --> 00:04:04.919 get the benefit. So I just want to preface all 72 00:04:04.960 --> 00:04:07.240 this by saying, it's not like games are some magic 73 00:04:07.319 --> 00:04:09.439 pill that you play them and good things happen to you. 74 00:04:09.639 --> 00:04:12.360 It really depends on how you play and why you 75 00:04:12.400 --> 00:04:15.719 play that good things can happen for a lot of people. 76 00:04:16.199 --> 00:04:18.480 Just allow me to reiterate that disclaimer. 77 00:04:18.839 --> 00:04:22.079 Games are not a magic pill, and not everybody benefits 78 00:04:22.079 --> 00:04:24.759 from video games, and however they can really help in 79 00:04:24.800 --> 00:04:28.480 the following ways. So the signature thing that I would 80 00:04:28.519 --> 00:04:32.800 say as probably the person who has studied I mean, 81 00:04:33.000 --> 00:04:35.480 I don't think there's ever been a scientific paper written 82 00:04:35.480 --> 00:04:39.120 about video games that have not read thousands of them. 83 00:04:39.399 --> 00:04:41.000 I am on it. I would say this sort of 84 00:04:41.040 --> 00:04:44.319 signature finding has to do with self efficacy. So self 85 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:48.720 effogacy is the belief that you have the ability to 86 00:04:48.839 --> 00:04:52.279 take actions that can help you achieve your goals right, 87 00:04:52.319 --> 00:04:54.959 and so you have skills, you have resources, you have 88 00:04:55.079 --> 00:04:59.319 pathways forward. And different people have different kinds of self effogacy. 89 00:04:59.399 --> 00:05:01.160 Like I might have a lot of self efficacy as 90 00:05:01.160 --> 00:05:04.959 a cook in the kitchen, but maybe not in my 91 00:05:05.120 --> 00:05:08.399 fashion sense of what should I wear today. I'm just 92 00:05:08.439 --> 00:05:11.120 not feeling like I have a lot of talent in 93 00:05:11.160 --> 00:05:14.600 that area. Different people have self efficacy in different areas, 94 00:05:14.759 --> 00:05:18.720 but if you have the experience of gaining self efficacy 95 00:05:19.079 --> 00:05:22.839 in new areas, it can develop a kind of mindset 96 00:05:22.879 --> 00:05:26.240 that does translate. So if you are often doing things 97 00:05:26.240 --> 00:05:29.000 that you're bad at and then stay with it and 98 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:31.879 get better, and suddenly you have new skills and you 99 00:05:31.959 --> 00:05:36.240 acquire new resources and you have achieved new goals and milestones, 100 00:05:36.600 --> 00:05:39.279 your brain gets better at looking at a difficult skill 101 00:05:39.360 --> 00:05:42.000 or task and saying, let me try it, because I 102 00:05:42.120 --> 00:05:45.800 have a great and long history of getting better at 103 00:05:45.800 --> 00:05:49.040 things that I'm bad at. And that's what gaming does 104 00:05:49.160 --> 00:05:52.759 for most people. And the more different games you play, 105 00:05:53.079 --> 00:05:58.000 the more your brain gets used to being frustrated, hanging 106 00:05:58.040 --> 00:06:01.879 in there, feeling optimistic in the face of setbacks and 107 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:06.120 that is the one generalizable positive impact of games that 108 00:06:06.160 --> 00:06:09.959 we see. No matter what kind of game you play, sport, challenging, 109 00:06:10.000 --> 00:06:13.480 cooperative board game, you're playing bridge, you're playing a video game. 110 00:06:13.879 --> 00:06:17.920 If we can help you get comfortable with not being 111 00:06:17.920 --> 00:06:20.439 good at something, trying using your skills and ability to 112 00:06:20.439 --> 00:06:22.000 get better at it, and then you do, in fact 113 00:06:22.040 --> 00:06:24.160 get better, that that can translate to the rest of 114 00:06:24.199 --> 00:06:24.759 your life. 115 00:06:24.879 --> 00:06:28.319 So games help us get comfy with being a total 116 00:06:28.519 --> 00:06:31.360 newbie at something. So when we try new things, whether 117 00:06:31.360 --> 00:06:35.160 it's a video game or something in the three dimensional realm, 118 00:06:35.560 --> 00:06:38.759 we're accustomed to being really frustrated at first and being like, 119 00:06:39.000 --> 00:06:42.480 h I hate this, I'm so bad at it. Oh wait, 120 00:06:42.920 --> 00:06:45.439 and then we gradually get better and better with time 121 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:47.680 and effort, and we're like, oh, I can apply this 122 00:06:47.720 --> 00:06:52.199 to my life. So to receive the full benefit of that. 123 00:06:51.800 --> 00:06:54.920 The doc says, make sure you're always playing different games, 124 00:06:54.920 --> 00:06:57.959 like the person who always plays mind Sweeper or Solitaire 125 00:06:58.000 --> 00:07:01.160 like they've been playing it for thirty years not not 126 00:07:01.439 --> 00:07:04.399 having this benefit. But when you look at the research literature, 127 00:07:05.160 --> 00:07:09.879 the people who really benefit from this experience are people 128 00:07:10.000 --> 00:07:14.079 who feel like games are real in a way, like 129 00:07:14.120 --> 00:07:16.160 they don't see them as a scapist. They don't play 130 00:07:16.199 --> 00:07:21.240 games to ignore their problems or like shove down negative 131 00:07:21.279 --> 00:07:23.959 feelings or get away from people who are annoying them. 132 00:07:24.720 --> 00:07:27.839 Those people tend to not benefit because they see games 133 00:07:27.879 --> 00:07:30.879 as separate from reality, so they don't bring the same 134 00:07:30.920 --> 00:07:32.920 mindset to real life. And those are the type of 135 00:07:32.920 --> 00:07:36.639 players who go on to be like you would call 136 00:07:36.639 --> 00:07:38.879 it addicted. It's not quite an addiction, but it's a 137 00:07:38.959 --> 00:07:42.000 kind of compulsive gameplay where they play more than it's 138 00:07:42.040 --> 00:07:42.600 good for them. 139 00:07:42.920 --> 00:07:46.120 Is there a difference in games where you're playing against 140 00:07:46.120 --> 00:07:48.439 a computer versus you are in a community and your 141 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:50.120 friends are on a headset and you're all yelling at 142 00:07:50.120 --> 00:07:52.319 each other trying to, like, you know, kill it the 143 00:07:52.360 --> 00:07:52.920 same elf. 144 00:07:53.920 --> 00:07:57.279 Huge difference. And it's not that one is better or worse. 145 00:07:57.360 --> 00:08:00.560 They're they're good for different things. Right, So, Like, if 146 00:08:00.560 --> 00:08:03.920 you're dealing with anxiety or depression, a single player game 147 00:08:04.079 --> 00:08:06.399 is actually really good it because you can pull out 148 00:08:06.399 --> 00:08:08.879 your phone and play it for a few minutes. Because 149 00:08:08.959 --> 00:08:10.879 one of the benefits of games is that it can 150 00:08:10.879 --> 00:08:14.480 stop rumination. Right, So if you're anxious, you're anxious because 151 00:08:14.480 --> 00:08:17.199 you're imagining things that could go wrong right, and it 152 00:08:17.240 --> 00:08:20.920 requires it requires your brain to be actively focused on 153 00:08:21.279 --> 00:08:24.759 visualizing things that scare you. So one of the best 154 00:08:24.759 --> 00:08:27.800 treatments for anxiety in the moment is to just stop 155 00:08:27.839 --> 00:08:32.320 the ruminations, to make a conscious decision not to spend 156 00:08:32.320 --> 00:08:35.159 time and energy on these thoughts. And so a game 157 00:08:35.200 --> 00:08:37.279 on your phone. It could be like a mini golf game, 158 00:08:37.399 --> 00:08:39.799 it could be you know, candy Crush, it could be 159 00:08:40.000 --> 00:08:42.279 Words with Friends. Anything that you can play by yourself 160 00:08:42.399 --> 00:08:44.759 is fine because it stops the thoughts. Same with depression. 161 00:08:45.080 --> 00:08:48.919 People depression ruminate on very negative thoughts about themselves or 162 00:08:49.240 --> 00:08:50.600 their circumstances. 163 00:08:51.039 --> 00:08:54.440 Maybe it's the new word game Wordle, created by Josh 164 00:08:54.519 --> 00:08:57.360 Wordle as a present for his word game obsessed partner. 165 00:08:57.679 --> 00:09:00.279 Or maybe, like for my husband Jared, it's League of 166 00:09:00.360 --> 00:09:03.639 Legends with his brothers and friends. Either way, it's nice 167 00:09:03.639 --> 00:09:08.200 to interrupt destructive thought patterns with a good old fashioned. 168 00:09:07.879 --> 00:09:10.600 Game, and if you can stop that flow of thought, 169 00:09:11.039 --> 00:09:14.440 it's an effective treatment. So single player games are great 170 00:09:15.000 --> 00:09:17.879 and they are really helpful for things like anxiety, depression, 171 00:09:18.120 --> 00:09:24.440 and pain, but social games are phenomenal for other things. 172 00:09:24.799 --> 00:09:27.919 The quality of positive emotions they create, the trust that 173 00:09:27.919 --> 00:09:30.279 they build. It's interesting you mentioned League of Legends. There's 174 00:09:30.320 --> 00:09:33.120 been great research showing that people who play League of 175 00:09:33.200 --> 00:09:37.440 Legends regularly have a stronger social support network than just 176 00:09:37.480 --> 00:09:40.840 about any other gamer, meaning there are more people in 177 00:09:40.879 --> 00:09:43.639 their lives who will be there for them if they 178 00:09:43.639 --> 00:09:46.879 need advice, if they need help in reality, like help 179 00:09:47.000 --> 00:09:51.600 moving or assistance physical assistance. People play League of Legends 180 00:09:51.919 --> 00:09:54.840 very powerful social support system. 181 00:09:55.200 --> 00:09:58.720 So each type of gaming experience has its benefits, she says, 182 00:09:58.720 --> 00:10:01.960 and social games see to lead to a bigger sense 183 00:10:02.039 --> 00:10:05.639 of community and family that can transfer to real life. 184 00:10:05.960 --> 00:10:09.360 But can you play too many video games? And is 185 00:10:09.399 --> 00:10:14.519 there a connection between playing video games and those shiny, flickering, 186 00:10:14.639 --> 00:10:20.240 jingling slot machines? Essentially, is gaming like gambling to the brain? 187 00:10:20.600 --> 00:10:22.639 They are only a few letters off after all? 188 00:10:23.080 --> 00:10:25.639 Oh my gosh, Ali, there's so much to say here. 189 00:10:26.679 --> 00:10:28.960 Let me start. Let me start with the gambling question, 190 00:10:29.039 --> 00:10:31.720 because this, I think people, If people can understand this, 191 00:10:32.039 --> 00:10:36.320 it will alleviate a lot of anxiety around video gaming 192 00:10:36.480 --> 00:10:40.279 versus casino gaming. The thing that happens in your brain 193 00:10:40.840 --> 00:10:43.080 where you feel like something good could happen as a 194 00:10:43.080 --> 00:10:46.679 result of your actions. It is identical in gambling. And 195 00:10:46.759 --> 00:10:49.159 video gaming. Right the part of your brain that says 196 00:10:49.240 --> 00:10:52.279 try again, try again, you might win, Go ahead, go 197 00:10:52.360 --> 00:10:55.840 for it, that keeps you at that slot machine, or 198 00:10:55.879 --> 00:10:59.320 you just need to play another hand in gambling or 199 00:10:59.559 --> 00:11:02.840 make another be yes, that is identical to what's happening 200 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:06.600 in video gaming. But what happens in video gaming is 201 00:11:07.080 --> 00:11:12.879 you actually get better at skills, and you acquire more resources, 202 00:11:12.960 --> 00:11:15.200 and you gain more allies who can teach you and 203 00:11:15.279 --> 00:11:18.879 help you and show you the way. And as opposed 204 00:11:18.960 --> 00:11:23.399 to luck based gambling where you're just you know, pulling 205 00:11:23.399 --> 00:11:26.399 the slot lever or scratching off a lottery ticket, you 206 00:11:26.440 --> 00:11:30.039 can actually get better and improve your chances of winning 207 00:11:30.200 --> 00:11:34.279 in video gaming. So it is a completely different psychological experience, 208 00:11:34.320 --> 00:11:38.440 a different neurological experience, because it is not delusional to 209 00:11:38.480 --> 00:11:39.240 stay engaged. 210 00:11:39.840 --> 00:11:42.759 Oki dok so before the lightning round of questions from 211 00:11:42.799 --> 00:11:45.799 patrons who sign up at Patreon dot com. Sooshologies it's 212 00:11:45.799 --> 00:11:48.480 a buck month, just saying each week a portion of 213 00:11:48.480 --> 00:11:51.360 the ad revenue goes to a cause of theologists choosing 214 00:11:51.720 --> 00:11:55.480 and Jane loves Ablegamers dot org, which in their words, 215 00:11:55.720 --> 00:11:59.919 gives people with disabilities custom gaming setups, including modified control 216 00:12:00.399 --> 00:12:03.440 and special assistive technology like devices that let you play 217 00:12:03.480 --> 00:12:05.759 with your eyes so they can have fun with their 218 00:12:05.799 --> 00:12:09.679 friends and family. So a donation went to Ablegamers dot org, 219 00:12:09.879 --> 00:12:11.799 who are doing awesome stuff. So thank you Jane for 220 00:12:11.840 --> 00:12:14.720 telling us about them. So a few words from sponsors 221 00:12:14.759 --> 00:12:19.639 who make that donation a reality. Okay, back to your 222 00:12:19.679 --> 00:12:22.559 Patreon questions, which are good ones. One Patreon question I 223 00:12:22.600 --> 00:12:26.399 got a ton from Mark Williams, and from David Baffa 224 00:12:26.480 --> 00:12:30.279 and from Sasha kd. They all asked about gamification. And 225 00:12:30.320 --> 00:12:32.360 I know that I don't think that you love the words, 226 00:12:33.080 --> 00:12:37.759 but is the gamification of behavior a useful technique? Sasha 227 00:12:37.799 --> 00:12:39.639 K wants to know how do you feel about gamification 228 00:12:39.679 --> 00:12:40.200 of everything? 229 00:12:40.279 --> 00:12:43.399 Yeah, you are awesome Ali for knowing that. I do 230 00:12:43.480 --> 00:12:46.840 not use a word gamification to describe my own work 231 00:12:46.960 --> 00:12:50.759 because just historically it's been used not in ways that 232 00:12:50.879 --> 00:12:53.559 authentically empower or bring the best out of the people 233 00:12:53.559 --> 00:12:59.879 who are being gamified. So my philosophy is, if you 234 00:13:00.120 --> 00:13:04.360 are connecting with somebody's deeply held values, what do they 235 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:06.840 want more in their life? They want to be a 236 00:13:06.879 --> 00:13:08.879 better parent, they want to learn something new every day, 237 00:13:08.919 --> 00:13:10.600 they want to be braver and get out in the 238 00:13:10.600 --> 00:13:13.639 world more, be more physically active. You know, whatever it 239 00:13:13.720 --> 00:13:16.240 is that they authentically want to do that they choose 240 00:13:16.240 --> 00:13:20.320 for themselves. If you can put a quest system or 241 00:13:20.440 --> 00:13:25.399 a leveling up system, or a kind of cooperation opportunity 242 00:13:25.399 --> 00:13:28.200 where they are multipliers, if you and your friends are 243 00:13:28.240 --> 00:13:31.039 doing it together, you can add some game design elements 244 00:13:31.159 --> 00:13:34.360 that help people do more of what they want. And 245 00:13:34.720 --> 00:13:37.480 if they do it, they're going to experience an upper 246 00:13:37.559 --> 00:13:39.759 spiral of skill and ability so they can maintain it 247 00:13:40.080 --> 00:13:44.159 outside of the game. That's an ideal situation for gamification. 248 00:13:44.440 --> 00:13:47.519 So basically, if it helps you achieve your goals from 249 00:13:47.759 --> 00:13:52.240 Uno to Magic, the Gathering to Tarkov, then doctor Jane 250 00:13:52.480 --> 00:13:55.919 fully supports it. But what about the classic of all classics, 251 00:13:56.159 --> 00:13:59.080 the one we all know and love, the Falling Block 252 00:13:59.279 --> 00:14:03.799 Majesty of Tetris? And then a bunch of people Colin, Matthew, 253 00:14:03.840 --> 00:14:09.159 Carla Kennedy, Helen Amy Connor all asked about dreams. Why 254 00:14:09.159 --> 00:14:11.679 do I dream about Tetris? After playing Tetris for a 255 00:14:11.720 --> 00:14:15.559 long time? Two people in particular, Colin and Amy, both said, 256 00:14:15.639 --> 00:14:17.320 I love Tetris, but if I play it too long, 257 00:14:17.360 --> 00:14:18.879 I start thinking about it all the time, and when 258 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.679 I close my eyes, I literally see little Tetramino swollic. 259 00:14:22.720 --> 00:14:23.519 Why does this happen? 260 00:14:23.679 --> 00:14:27.080 This is the greatest question, because the other public service 261 00:14:27.120 --> 00:14:29.919 announcement I always like to do about video games actually 262 00:14:29.919 --> 00:14:32.360 has to do with Tetris and how it takes over 263 00:14:32.399 --> 00:14:37.519 your mind. Because there have been three randomized control studies 264 00:14:37.519 --> 00:14:40.320 and clinical trials now, including one in the field with 265 00:14:40.360 --> 00:14:46.039 people who experienced traumatic events, that show that the way 266 00:14:46.120 --> 00:14:48.919 that Tetris takes over your brain so that you are 267 00:14:48.960 --> 00:14:53.320 flashing back to it, it can prevent flashbacks associated with 268 00:14:53.360 --> 00:14:57.639 post traumatic stress disorder. And there's actually increasing usage of 269 00:14:58.399 --> 00:15:01.519 Tetris within twenty four hour of a traumatic event that 270 00:15:01.559 --> 00:15:05.240 if you play Tetris within twenty four hours and before 271 00:15:05.279 --> 00:15:08.320 you go to sleep, that your brain is more likely 272 00:15:08.399 --> 00:15:11.480 to flash back on Tetris and the event, which reduces 273 00:15:11.519 --> 00:15:18.600 the rate of traumatic flashbacks in the future. Yeah, and 274 00:15:18.679 --> 00:15:22.840 it happens because Tetris is so visually compelling and requires 275 00:15:23.240 --> 00:15:27.919 so much visual attention that your brain essentially diverts resources 276 00:15:27.919 --> 00:15:31.200 from everything else, and it works so hard on this 277 00:15:31.320 --> 00:15:34.639 problem that when you walk away from it, your brain 278 00:15:35.039 --> 00:15:37.200 is continuing to work on it. If you had a 279 00:15:37.240 --> 00:15:40.000 really bad day and you don't want to sit there 280 00:15:40.159 --> 00:15:42.600 thinking about it, or like stay up all night thinking 281 00:15:42.639 --> 00:15:45.799 about it. You can use tetris to block your brain 282 00:15:45.960 --> 00:15:49.279 from flashing back on an experience that you don't want 283 00:15:49.279 --> 00:15:52.559 to remember. You use the power of tetris to flash 284 00:15:52.559 --> 00:15:53.519 back on tetris. 285 00:15:53.759 --> 00:15:58.399 That's right, tetris saving you from stressful replays in your brain. 286 00:15:58.519 --> 00:16:02.000 You heard it here first, But what about just strapping 287 00:16:02.080 --> 00:16:05.159 a game console and a screen to your actual face? 288 00:16:05.320 --> 00:16:07.360 Is that too much? I got a ton of questions 289 00:16:07.399 --> 00:16:14.080 about VR. Yeah, like Justin So, Dion Dabbelow, Kirana Bergstrom, 290 00:16:14.120 --> 00:16:17.639 and Janelle York all wanted to know what video game 291 00:16:17.720 --> 00:16:20.159 advances should we look forward to, Like how do you 292 00:16:20.159 --> 00:16:23.600 see the industry developing? And how does VR and AR 293 00:16:24.200 --> 00:16:27.440 change game design? Like virtual reality and augmented. 294 00:16:27.240 --> 00:16:31.960 Yeah, oh so many things. Okay, I'm going to focus 295 00:16:32.000 --> 00:16:34.519 on a few things. One advance that we are going 296 00:16:34.559 --> 00:16:37.120 to see in gaming in general as a result of 297 00:16:37.200 --> 00:16:40.279 virtual reality, I believe, is that gaming will become a 298 00:16:40.480 --> 00:16:45.279 socially safer and more pleasant space for people who have 299 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:51.279 historically experienced more harassment, So for women, people who are 300 00:16:51.399 --> 00:16:54.960 identified as queer. There can be a lot of harassment 301 00:16:55.279 --> 00:16:58.639 in social gaming, and that's just a fact. I spent 302 00:16:58.720 --> 00:17:00.840 a lot of time talking to VR developed and I 303 00:17:00.919 --> 00:17:03.840 know that all of the major VR developers are very 304 00:17:03.879 --> 00:17:07.319 much focused on not repeating the mistakes of the past 305 00:17:07.400 --> 00:17:10.240 of both social media and video gaming. They do not 306 00:17:10.440 --> 00:17:13.359 want VR to be a space where anybody can come 307 00:17:13.440 --> 00:17:15.599 up to you and tell you what they think, anybody 308 00:17:15.599 --> 00:17:18.079 can come up to you and have an interaction with you. 309 00:17:18.400 --> 00:17:23.160 They want to invent new kinds of technologies for consent, 310 00:17:23.279 --> 00:17:25.720 for who can see you, who can touch you, who 311 00:17:25.799 --> 00:17:29.839 can talk to you. I'm very optimistic that VR is 312 00:17:30.000 --> 00:17:35.559 going to thoughtfully not replicate the kind of toxic environments 313 00:17:35.559 --> 00:17:38.400 that we've seen in social media and video gaming in 314 00:17:38.400 --> 00:17:42.200 the past. That's one thing. Yeah. Another thing that I'm 315 00:17:42.200 --> 00:17:46.119 excited about in VR is VR esports. I mean, esports 316 00:17:46.200 --> 00:17:52.640 is obviously becoming really popular and accepted. I mean, there 317 00:17:52.640 --> 00:17:57.839 are college scholarships, there's college leagues, there's more people watching 318 00:17:58.559 --> 00:18:02.920 online world chamn Bean ships for the Biggest League of 319 00:18:03.000 --> 00:18:08.359 Legends finals, then watched Major League Baseball World Series, watched 320 00:18:08.400 --> 00:18:09.359 the NHL. 321 00:18:09.240 --> 00:18:11.839 Okay quick aside, just to fact check this, Let's look 322 00:18:11.839 --> 00:18:15.680 at the most watched World Series in recent years. Twenty sixteen, 323 00:18:15.960 --> 00:18:19.000 Chicago Cubs are in the World Series for the first 324 00:18:19.039 --> 00:18:21.680 time since nineteen oh seven. This is a big deal. 325 00:18:22.000 --> 00:18:26.240 Game seven, Who's Gonna win? The viewership is about triple 326 00:18:26.440 --> 00:18:29.240 what it usually is for a World Series, with forty 327 00:18:29.640 --> 00:18:34.559 million people watching. The Chicago Cubs take the victory forty million. 328 00:18:35.079 --> 00:18:36.920 Oh but last year the number of people watching the 329 00:18:37.000 --> 00:18:39.759 League of Legends finals was one hundred million. Well that's 330 00:18:39.759 --> 00:18:43.000 an exaggeration. It was ninety nine point six million. So yeah, 331 00:18:43.200 --> 00:18:43.680 that's a lot. 332 00:18:43.799 --> 00:18:47.039 Sorry Cubs, it's very popular. But I'm interested in esports 333 00:18:47.039 --> 00:18:50.279 and VR because the esports and VR are often very physical. 334 00:18:50.400 --> 00:18:52.759 If you look at images or videos of them online, 335 00:18:52.839 --> 00:18:57.680 you see people leaping and crawling, and there's a real 336 00:18:57.799 --> 00:19:01.920 blend of physical sport, but also all the things that 337 00:19:02.079 --> 00:19:04.279 require you to be good in video games and esports, 338 00:19:04.519 --> 00:19:09.119 the kind of fast reflexes and visual attention and resource 339 00:19:09.240 --> 00:19:13.079 management that are the kind of strategic decision making that 340 00:19:13.119 --> 00:19:16.000 we see in traditional video games in esports, so I'm 341 00:19:16.039 --> 00:19:20.079 excited for VR esports also as a way to have 342 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:26.279 both real physical and beautiful gameplay alongside traditional esports skills. 343 00:19:26.599 --> 00:19:29.640 So in the future, we could see sports and esports 344 00:19:29.759 --> 00:19:33.279 come together and possibly put us in some form of 345 00:19:33.319 --> 00:19:36.720 the oasis from Ready Player one. And I know people 346 00:19:36.799 --> 00:19:40.160 who use their Oculus Quest headsets to work out via 347 00:19:40.240 --> 00:19:42.680 Beat Saber and other apps, which kind of feels like 348 00:19:42.720 --> 00:19:46.240 going to the gym in Star Trek's holiday in the 349 00:19:46.240 --> 00:19:48.880 best way. But is there a world where maybe that's 350 00:19:48.880 --> 00:19:51.720 a little too immersive? It's just a little much. Can 351 00:19:51.759 --> 00:19:55.440 you spend too much time playing video games? My nephew 352 00:19:55.440 --> 00:19:57.079 Mason is nine, and I just got back from the 353 00:19:57.119 --> 00:20:00.160 holidays with him, and he and his parents have a 354 00:20:00.200 --> 00:20:03.599 difference of opinion on this issue, as you can imagine. 355 00:20:04.240 --> 00:20:10.119 Let's see Matt Soalgato, Carla Hickenlooper, Rodi Akaria, Carla Kennedy 356 00:20:10.839 --> 00:20:14.039 and a few other people asked about addiction. When should 357 00:20:14.079 --> 00:20:16.240 kids start playing video games? And how much is too much? 358 00:20:16.359 --> 00:20:20.359 Okay, so you cannot go wrong if you are playing 359 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:22.920 the game with them. That's that's the first and most 360 00:20:22.920 --> 00:20:27.759 important rule. There's no too soon if you are playing 361 00:20:27.799 --> 00:20:30.920 with them and talking to them about it, and for 362 00:20:30.960 --> 00:20:34.000 as long as you can continue this, the better. So 363 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:36.759 even if it's a single player game, you know somebody 364 00:20:36.880 --> 00:20:39.640 they're building something in Minecraft. You are sitting right there, 365 00:20:39.839 --> 00:20:42.200 You're like, what are you doing? How did you know 366 00:20:42.319 --> 00:20:44.119 to do that? How did you figure that out? 367 00:20:44.319 --> 00:20:44.400 Like? 368 00:20:44.559 --> 00:20:47.839 Ah, looks really hard? What's going on? Talk to your kids, 369 00:20:47.920 --> 00:20:53.039 let them express their problem solving process, what's motivating them 370 00:20:53.079 --> 00:20:55.519 about the game. Why is this fun? You want to 371 00:20:55.599 --> 00:20:58.920 just draw out as much as you can, because it 372 00:20:59.000 --> 00:21:04.279 allows kids to really reflect on how they learn, what 373 00:21:04.400 --> 00:21:08.720 they're getting better at, how they are capable of solving 374 00:21:08.759 --> 00:21:13.599 difficult problems, and staying engage with hard challenges. Games are 375 00:21:13.640 --> 00:21:17.079 just the most incredible environment for you to validate your 376 00:21:17.160 --> 00:21:20.920 kids' skills and abilities as a learner, as a creative person, 377 00:21:21.000 --> 00:21:23.480 as a problem solver. And the other thing about in 378 00:21:23.599 --> 00:21:26.279 terms of timing, I did help do a meta analysis 379 00:21:26.480 --> 00:21:29.279 of all the studies that have looked at kids and 380 00:21:29.400 --> 00:21:32.160 adults how much is too much? And I will say 381 00:21:32.240 --> 00:21:37.720 that there have never been studies showing ill effects when 382 00:21:37.720 --> 00:21:40.480 people are playing less than twenty hours a week. You 383 00:21:40.640 --> 00:21:45.079 do see impacts on school performance, on social relationships with 384 00:21:45.079 --> 00:21:47.440 people who don't play games, on physical health and well 385 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:50.359 being over twenty hours per week, So that's just another 386 00:21:50.440 --> 00:21:55.880 kind of safe zone. And in cases of serious pathological gameplay. 387 00:21:55.920 --> 00:21:58.319 When people are saying up all night, they're not doing 388 00:21:58.359 --> 00:22:00.559 the school work. I'm not looking for a job. I 389 00:22:00.640 --> 00:22:03.519 always say, get it to twenty hours or less, do 390 00:22:03.599 --> 00:22:06.200 not take the game away. Okay, so there's a. 391 00:22:06.119 --> 00:22:10.039 Sweet spot of twenty hours or less a week, but 392 00:22:10.200 --> 00:22:13.039 your mileage may vary. And really just make sure that 393 00:22:13.079 --> 00:22:17.359 you're prioritizing the big things sleep, rest, family and friends, time, 394 00:22:17.559 --> 00:22:21.920 your schoolwork, your big goals, and recognize when you're relaxing 395 00:22:22.079 --> 00:22:25.799 and when you're escaping because life maybe feels too painful. 396 00:22:26.279 --> 00:22:28.960 Speaking of pain, a lot of us wanted to know 397 00:22:29.799 --> 00:22:34.160 is there a connection between video games with violent content 398 00:22:34.680 --> 00:22:39.359 and three dimensional real life bad behavior? If you play 399 00:22:39.440 --> 00:22:41.240 video games stealing cars, are you going to go around 400 00:22:41.279 --> 00:22:43.960 and steal much cars? You're trained to do it now. 401 00:22:44.720 --> 00:22:46.160