Video-Game Thinking and Social Intelligence
How young people make friends in the digital age
I have an interest in how young people will learn to create fellowship when they spend so much time at home looking at smart devices?
With software developed explicitly for them, many young children will learn to use computers. They will develop gamer- thinking and strong competitive skills before they ever get to the sandbox, but they may not learn about compassion and empathy when their best friend is a computer screen. That is why I spend time studying the influence of video games on developing minds
By their teen years, young people may have mastered game-thinking or be crushed by the competitive gamer-thinking of their peers.
Soon, the more skilled a game player a person is, as they move into adulthood, the more they will prosper. Over time, the gamer-thinking process can become ever more complex, and stressful. This is because, in part, the norms in our fast-paced digital world change so quickly, that there is a constant reshaping and redefining of many Life Games.
“Every age has its storytelling form, and video gaming is a huge part of our culture. You can ignore or embrace video games and imbue them with the best artistic quality. People are enthralled with video games in the same way as other people love the cinema or theatre.” — Andy Serkis
When viewed from the perspective of gamer-thinking, the immaturity of childhood is a time for experimental play without severe consequences. Here we can spend a great deal of time observing the actions of skilled others in coordination with oversight by, and activity with our guardians.
In time we learn to re-interpret, imitate, and practice, in various forms of play (sports, games, and puzzles.) We also learn to survive and prosper as we explore the limits of our natural ability to interact with the world.
There was a point for many of us, usually in our teen years when our parents and guardians told us it was time to grow up and stop playing games.
Though this advice was certainly offered with good intentions, it was probably the worst advice they could have given us. What they needed to tell us was that “at some point, you will need to see the world through adult eyes, and it is now time to learn about adult games.”
The Takeaway
We now know that human teens have much in common with their counterparts throughout the animal kingdom concerning gameplay and risk-taking. Research shows that a wide variety of species, fruit flies, pumas, and humans alike, must negotiate four competencies while entering adulthood:
1. safety,
2. socialization (creating fellowship and navigating hierarchy),
3. how to court potential mates,
4. self-reliance (accessing food, shelter, water, etc.)
Author: Lewis Harrison is a serial entrepreneur, writer, teacher, public speaker, and seminar leader. He focuses on problem-solving, self-improvement, personal development, and sharing love with the world.
I have a bottomless passion for the application of game theory in decision-making. My game theory/business website is AskLewisGameTheory.com.”
“I am always exploring trends, areas of interest, and solutions to build new stories upon. Again, if you have any ideas you would like me to write about just email me at LewisCoaches@gmail.com”.
……………..Lewis
A Final Thought.
Humans seek to be more effective every day. social animals. The Medium story below explore this issue in-depth.
