Can Games Truly Bring Happiness?

Many people tend to not think of games as a catalyst for happiness, but McGonigal seems to claim otherwise. She states that part of the key to happiness is to practice random acts of kindness and to dance more. (McGonigal 183) Well, what exactly would these things have to do with happiness? McGonigal elaborates by saying "they're like the daily multivitamins of positive psychology: they've been clinically tested and proven to boost our well-being in small doses, and they're designed to fit easily into our everyday lives." (McGonigal 184) There are also lots of other ways that happiness can be achieved. However, it might not be as easy as it sounds. Part of the problem here is that in order to be happy, we have to do more than just know what makes us happy, we have to act on that knowledge, which incorporating into our daily lives could prove very difficult. For example, what if one day you just decide to not be nice to people or to make a simple gesture of kindness? This is just one of a few examples of why many people might not throw themselves out there to participate in such activities. These acts of kindness, however, don't necessarily need to be intentional.  Being spontaneous and out of the blue can very much help to find happiness in games.




My hunter character spontaneously dancing with fellow Guardians in the Tower.



For one last time (since this is my final blog post), I'll be returning to Destiny. Here, I take my trip to the Tower, the playable social area where people can pick up bounties, buy new legendary and exotic gear, and communicate. Usually, whenever I visit the Tower, I'll pick up bounties and whatever gear I might need for my next endeavor into the expansive universe of the game. However, this time, I found a couple guardians on my way out, standing by the Postmaster vendor, dancing. I, of course, decided to join them.

Going back to what I said at the beginning of my post, this moment and particular captures what McGonigal was trying to say perfectly. The "dancing" emoticon brought plenty of laughs into the situation, and sparked a communal bond between these players that I didn't even know. All in all, random acts of kindness don't need to always be performed, but when they can, will bring you an endless amount of joy to your gameplay and in real life.

My final question is: When have you performed a random act of kindness? How often do you do them?

McGonigal, Jane. Reality Is Broken: Why Games Make Us Better and How They Can Change the World. New York: Penguin Group, 2011. Print.