I decided to base this week’s discussion post on the TED talk by Jane McGonigal. I went into this video with a bias against video games. I currently see commercials for extremely violent games, and see people spending every spare second gaming. It makes me question if gamers are more focused on the fake world that is the video game than the real world.

McGonigal starts her talk by showing a picture of a boy, saying he is expressing “signs of optimism” which leads to an “epic win”. An epic win has been researched and is almost beyond the threshold of imagination. She argues that this is a face we need to see more often, and that video games can lead us to creating a more collaborative, problem-solving society.

The first question that immediately popped in my mind was “How many people actually apply the skills they learn in these video games into the real world?” Then, almost as if McGonigal read my mind, she leads into games that she has created, such as a game that gives real data and articles on oil shortages, and your job is to be as resourceful as possible with the fuel you have been given.

After she explained her games, my bias shifted. I can now agree with her that games such as those can be a powerful platform for change, although I still believe there are many toxic video games that should not be played. I have never spent more then 4-5 hours total of my life playing video games, but I can see how kids who are introverted or enjoy online games can really use applications such as those mentioned to learn valuable skills that can be applied to the real world.

“We can make any future we can imagine” (McGonigal 18:10).