Video games are bad for you! That’s what I was always told. They normalise violence, glorify war, and will give you square eyes - just like watching television! (my family were not scientists).
Ah, but pre-internet was there anything better? The endless entertainment of an interactive world providing an antidote to boredom and a comfort to solitude?
I understood the parental concern. Living life through a screen rather than out in the real world was a great departure from anything they had grown up with. Their fear was that, if encouraged, society would become collectively hindered by digital disconnection and a warped sense of reality. …Pfft! What did they know?!
Ok, so screens are now ubiquitous. Key life moments are announced online. Friends see our avatar more than our actual face. And group hangouts rarely migrate outside of WhatsApp. But as perceived reality becomes increasingly virtual, perhaps there’s something we can learn from the video games that kickstarted it all.
If we journey back to early Sonic and Mario - the founding fathers of the ‘jump ’n’ run’ - they introduced a formula that many platform games still follow today. Each level would be a capsule of its own complexity - its own unique challenges, environment, and dangers to look out for. Upon completing a level (hoorah!) you’d immediately be transported to the next, or in the case of my favourite, Crash Bandicoot, be up against a ‘boss’ nemesis - a gatekeeper to be defeated before you could move forward.
When I reminisce about these games, I remember the relentless effort and energy spent trying to get to that next level. At each stage, there would inevitably be a pitfall, boss, or baddie that I just couldn’t seem to get past. Curiosity, excitement, frustration and determination were all part of the experience, as I furiously choreographed my thumbs around the console. Over and over I’d re-live the Groundhog Day of gaming. But sure enough, with time, resilience and dedication (and maybe a few cheat codes - but let’s exclude them from this metaphor), I’d eventually reach that further point in the game. What a feeling!
I wouldn’t care that it had taken so long - that only made the new level all the sweeter. Off I’d go, gleefully running, jumping and spinning into the unknown. Clear in the knowledge that there’d be struggles ahead. More failure along the way. It was all part of the experience. After all, if a game was too easy, it wasn’t worth playing!
I think you can see where I’m going with this. It could be argued that these games were preparing us for life ahead. They mirrored the complexity, unpredictability, and nonsensical nature that most of us would meet in later life. Yet, in virtual reality, we didn’t just embrace challenges, we revelled in them! We endured failure. We excited at adventure. And we managed our energy, knowing when to seek aid and when we needed to be resourced. We didn’t resent difficulty, or anger at what was sent to test us. We didn’t expect perfection, and would have been bored if we got it! We took our time, took our chances, and did our best.
It’s a metaphor I think about often. Our lives are rarely straightforward and our psychology provides an infinite world of exploration. Real life involves taking on battles, suffering set-backs, and making mistakes - sometimes over and over again. But rather than meet difficulty with disappointment, regarding failure as finite, we can navigate our own mental jump n’run by understanding that it’s all par for the course. We figure out where we went wrong, and we go again, for however long it takes.
Outside of VR, there can be a sense of defeat in having to tread the same path. The fallacy of being back at ‘Square One’. But in reality (of any kind) that’s never truly the case. Despite the retro-step, we can no longer begin as we began. We know some of what lies ahead, and the places we got tripped up. We move forward armed with new knowledge and experience, and choose how we’ll use it this time around.
So were those hours of entertainment in front of a screen signs of a misspent youth, or an apprenticeship in perseverance? Perhaps a teaching in some of life’s most key transferable skills. I’d say if we can channel the mindset of our inner gamer when out in the real world, then these games aren’t so bad for us after all, and I’m glad that some have stood the test of time. Today, Crash Bandicoot is also the favourite of my 7-year-old nephew. And I must say, Crash has aged remarkably well - he’s more fleshed out, his enemies are greater and his challenges just that bit more difficult - but isn’t that just ageing? Welcome to the real world, Crash. And thanks again for lending us your virtual one.
The Spin
Gaming can be a useful metaphor for how we tackle challenges in our lives, and how tolerant we are of set-backs.
In video games, we embrace the unknown as an exciting adventure. Yet many of us fear or resent change and uncertainty in the real world, which can have a negative impact on mental health.
Feeling like we’re back at square one can be deflating. But the same steps don’t mean it’s the same stage of the journey. Sometimes we must repeat certain stages until we’re able to do so with the experience and wisdom of our mistakes.
Also - playing video games will not give you square eyes (Sorry, Mum!)
Adding More Weight
Games Can Be Good - When You Play for the Right Reasons
The Importance of Play for the Brain
The Psychology Behind Our Fear of Failure
Alain de Botton on ‘three philosophical failure concepts’ (podcast episode)
Option to Go Deeper
If your life was a video game, how’s your current level going?
Indulge me in my metaphor, if you will. Consider your current circumstance. Is there an obstacle in your path? An aspect that forever trips you up? What next level are you trying to get to?