Reality is Broken explains the science behind why games are good for us--why they make us happier more creative more resilient and better able to lead others in world-changing efforts.
But some games are better for us than others and there is too much of a good thing.
Here are a few secrets that arent in the book to help you (or the gamer in your life) get the most positive impact from playing games.
This practical advice--5 key quidelines plus 2 quick rules--is scientifically backed and it can be summed up in a single sentence:
Play games you enjoy no more than 21 hours a week; face-to-face with friends and family as often as you can; and in co-operative or creator modes whenever possible.
1. Dont play more than 21 hours a week.
Studies show that games benefit us mentally and emotionally when we play up to 3 hours a day or 21 hours a week. (In extremely stressful circumstances--such as serving in the military during war-time--research shows that gamers can benefit from as many as 28 hours a week.) But for virtually everyone else whenever you play more than 21 hours a week the benefits of gaming start to decline sharply. By the time youre spending 40 hours or more a week playing games the psychological benefits of playing games have disappeared entirely--and are replaced with negative impacts on your physical health relationships and real-life goals. So always strive to keep your gaming in the sweet spot: 721 hours a week.
2. Playing with real-life friends and family is better than playing alone all the time or with strangers.
Gaming strengthens your social bonds and builds trust two key factors in any positive relationship. And the more positive relationships you have in real life the happier healthier and more successful you are.
You can get mental and emotional benefits from single-player games or by playing with strangers online--but to really unlock the power of games its important to play them with people you really know and like as often as possible.
A handy rule-of-thumb: try to make half of your gaming social. If you play 10 hours a week try to play face-to-face with real-life friends or family for at least 5 of those hours.
(And if youre not a gamer yourself--but you have a family member who plays games all the time it would do you both good to play together--even if you think you dont like games!)
3. Playing face-to-face with friends and family beats playing with them online.
If youre in the same physical space youll supercharge both the positive emotional impacts and the social bonding.
Many of the benefits of games are derived from the way they make us feel--and all positive emotions are heightened by face-to-face interaction.
Plus research shows that social ties are strengthened much more when we play games in the same room than when we play games together online.
Multi-player games are great for this. But single-player works too! You can get all the same benefits by taking turns at a single-player game helping and cheering each other on.
4. Cooperative gameplay?? overall?? has more benefits than competitive gameplay.
Studies show that cooperative gameplay lifts our mood longer?? and strengthens our friendships more?? than competing against each other.
Cooperative gameplay also makes us more likely to help someone in real life?? and better collaborators at work--boosting our real-world likeability and chances for success."p>C