Can a Video Game Save Your Life?

Game designe Jane McGonigal, May 2011. Photo credit: Wikipedia

Can a video game save your life? Game designer Jane McGonigal had never been on her own deathbed — nor had she ever worked in a hospice center, or spent time in an end-of-life environment. She did, however, spend three months in bed “wanting to die” as she struggled with extreme depression. In the aftermath of a severe concussion McGonigal, who is an avid educator of the positive effects of gaming, spent her time developing the role-playing video game SuperBetter – an activity that she says saved her from suicide.

In a powerful TED Talk, McGonical explains just what makes video games like SuperBetter such incredible tools for healing, connecting with others and even increasing our life span:

I’m a gamer, so I like to have goals – objectives. So here’s my goal for this [TED] Talk. I’m going to try to increase the lifespan of every person in this room by seven and a half minutes. Literally.

In the talk proceeding, McGonical explains how SuperBetter challenges its players with deceptively simple tasks like “raise your arms” or “shake hands with someone next to you for six seconds” to gain points. At first, they seem like trivial hurdles. But for someone who is bed-ridden, or suffering from a sever-illness, SuperBetter’s challenges make a habit of rewarding actions that make humans more active, sociable and all-around happier.

How can you feel SuperBetter? Photo credi: Superbetter.com

“On your deathbed, are you really going to wish you spent more time playing Angry Birds?” McGonigal asks. Probably not. In fact, what most people regret at end of their lives has been observed and whittled-down to five prevailing statements:

1) “I wish I hadn’t worked so hard”
2) “I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends”
3) “I wish I had let myself be happier”
4) “I wish I’d had the courage to express my true self”
5) “I wish I’d lived a life true to my dreams instead of what others had expected of me”

These are all regrets, according to McGonigal, that could be remedied through gaming. Wish you hadn’t worked so hard? Escaping into a fictional gaming world speaks directly to this regret by offering a fun, playful alternate-reality. Often, she points out, “Wishing you hadn’t worked hard” translates directly into wishing you’d spent more time hanging out with family — something a quick gaming session can easily accomplish. Do you wish you had stayed in touch with more friends? Well, millions have been interacting daily with games like Words With Friends, across countries and time zones. Then there’s the “groundbreaking clinical trials conducted at east Carolina University,” which show that online games have even been “outperform[ing] pharmaceuticals in treating depression.”

So what happens when you take a video game — with all of its inherent ability for team-building and community strengthening — and tailor it specifically for those living with an illness? “SuperBetter,” McGonigal says, “has really helped those who are ill or recovering from a disease feel stronger, braver and happier. [I found that] the game was encouraging post-traumatic growth, serving as a springboard to lead happier lives.”

Watch the TED Talk here. Or just go back to playing FarmVille.

Related Articles:

• Visit SuperBetter’s site.
• 7 Health Benefits of Playing Video Games