Reality Is Broken

Reality Is Broken flips the image of the lonely gamer on its head, explaining how games create real value, can be used to make us happier and even help us solve global problems.

Guess how many teens play video games in one format or the other. 97%. Yes, video games have become a central part of society. It’s no coincidence that Youtube’s biggest channel is a gamer. However, the most common comment about people spending a lot of time playing video games is that it’s just some form of escapism.

Clearly, almost 100% of kids can’t be “escaping” their lives all the time, because then we’d be in serious trouble. Jane says that the reason video games are so popular is two-fold:

Video games allow us to create social bonds and connect with others at a level some of us can’t reach in real life. They give us a sense of excitement and accomplishment, which motivates us far more than other rewards.

There’s a video game community out there for everyone, no matter how nerdy or awkward the other kids in school think you are. Also, video games show you that you can win, overcome challenges and succeed, which gives you hope and optimism. Even if you fail – at least trying was fun.

What’s more, all of the rewards, missions and secrets in video games add excitement, curiosity and the feeling of glory after overcoming adversity to your life in ways reality never could.

So yes, there’s real value to be gained from playing video games!

On a scale of 0 to 10, how excited do you get about cleaning the bathroom, vacuuming or buying groceries? For me, I’d say I’m at -4 😀 Chores are a typical example of something in your life that isn’t really hard or actively getting you down – they’re just boring and thus make life feel dull.

But as you just saw above, games replace this dullness with excitement, so why not turn the boring to-dos in your life into games?

Jane also didn’t like doing housework, but when she discovered Chore Wars, the game was on. This game lets you create a character and collect points for washing your dishes, making dinner or ironing your clothes. Jane and her husband got so competitive that Jane even considered hiding the toilet brush, just to finish first and net the points!

Of course housework is just the start. You can really turn anything into a game and doing so often makes your life a lot easier.