Jane McGonigal’s book “Reality is Broken” talks about why so many people like gaming so much. Games, particularly video games, are specifically designed to tap straight in to what human brains find satisfying. McGonigal aims to use these attributes that make games so attractive to solve real world, large scale challenges. While the whole book is a great read, the chapter “Happiness Hacking” is especially interesting.
Humans are really bad at knowing what makes us happy. Amazingly enough, there are people who study this scientifically. McGonigal has integrated some of these Happiness Hacks into games that are designed to have a real world effect. And to be effective, we can’t just know about these hacks; we have to act on them, on a regular basis. The first happiness activity listed in the chapter is to initiate a positive interaction with a stranger. In addition to giving that person a nice surprise, it can potentially increase the positivity of an environment overall. The next is to give brief thoughts towards mortality each day. It helps us realize how precious life is and increases our abilities to sort out the trivial from the necessary. The last hack is to dance. In all of human history, dance has been one of the quickest routes to trust and jubilation. Check out Reality is Broken to read about the games Ms. McGonigal designed to use these hacks and other ways she’s hoping that games can change the world.
Ms. McGonigal’s other book SuperBetter is about a game she created to help herself heal after a major concussion. It’s now a website and an app that anyone can use to build resilience. It’s even been tested as a tool for managing depression, with promising results. I’m looking forward to reading SuperBetter to learn about more ways that games can improve our lives.
Connect with books and happiness at the Buda Public Library!
