Gaming is Good?

            After reading about Jane Mcgonigal and her “gaming” theory I was dumbfounded. I’m not sure how to respond to her theory that gaming could change the world for the better.

            Although I agree with Mcgonigal and some of her big ideas I believe that her hopeful outcome is too radical. I find myself confused after listening to her message. We were told so long by our parents to “go outside”, “be active”, and “put the controller down”. Now her research is telling us to game more? These strong and bold messages may anger the public and push them away. 

            The research proves that gamers may be more self-empowered and optimistic individuals but I’m not a strong believer that more gaming will allow these traits to cross over to reality. When I game, I play games for mindless satisfaction. If I play a game (which is extremely rare) I get down on myself for being lazy or wasting valuable time. Mcgonigal makes some excellent points but her ideas are too drastic and I believe it will be difficult for her to build a strong following. It is most definitely a reach.