Gamers always believe that an epic win is possible and that it's always worth trying, and trying now. Gamers don't sit around.
Urgent optimism is the desire to act immediately to tackle an obstacle, combined with the belief that we have a reasonable hope of success.
The idea of the 'lone gamer' is really not true anymore. Up to 65 percent of gaming now is social, played either online or in the same room with people we know in real life.
When we're in game worlds, I believe that many of us become the best version of ourselves: the most likely to help at a moment's notice. The most likely to stick with a problem as long as it takes. To get up after failure and try again.
We can boost our immune systems by strengthening our social networks and decreasing stress.
For most people, an hour a day playing our favorite games will power up our ability to engage whole-heartedly with difficult challenges, strengthen our relationships with the people we care about most - while still letting us notice when it's time to stop playing in virtual worlds and bring our gamer strengths back to real life.
We've been playing games since humanity had civilization - there is something primal about our desire and our ability to play games. It's so deep-seated that it can bypass latter-day cultural norms and biases.
When parents or gamers ask me, 'What's the best game to play?' I say that playing face-to-face is more beneficial than playing online.
If you make it a game, gamers will play it no matter what your motivation is in making it.
My mom is a public school teacher and works with third grade students.
Clinically speaking, depression is a pessimistic sense of your own capabilities, and despondent lack of energy.
I've been running since high school. My boyfriend was on the track team, and I'd run with him.
Game developers know that people have more fun when they're in large groups. They feel more fired up when the challenges are more epic.
It seems like what happens when we play games is that we go into a psychological state called eustress, or positive stress. It's basically the same as negative stress in the sense that we get our adrenaline up, you know, our breathing rate quickens, our pulse quickens.
Games are work. There are economies popping up in games now because people value them.
Growing up, I was prone to anxiety.
I don't want a gamer to feel like they have to commit their whole life to changing the world.
When my life is stressful, my favorite game is called 'Pop It,' where you pop balloons and prizes fall out. It's a five-minute game that focuses my mind and gives me extra attention when I'm stressed.
I don't do 'gamification,' and I'm not prepared to stand up and say, 'I think it works.'
Evidence shows that having even weak social connections in a stressful situation is really good for your health and your ability to handle that situation.
