Why Play Matters More than Ever - By Christine Arena
Why Play Matters More than Ever
Ever feel overwhelmed by the sheer volume of media messages, e-mails, texts and tweets coming at you everyday, yet cut off from what gives you a deeper sense of purpose in life? Join the crowd.
A recent Digital Lifestyle Information Survey from online content company Magnify.net reveals that most people, 64.2 percent, say the information streaming toward them has increased by more than 50 percent during the past year alone. A staggering 72.7 percent of them describe this deluge as: “a roaring river,” “a flood,” or “a massive tidal wave.” Not exactly descriptors indicative of an improved quality of life.
“Something happened when the world went all virtual and mouse-driven,” says XEODesign president and mobile game Tilt creator Nicole Lazzaro. “We gained access to a lot more data and choice, but lost some of the essence of what makes us feel so good.”
Like a growing number of game designers out there, Lazzaro believes passionately that while the digital world grows more crowded and overwhelming to people, games and gamification represent a way to make life more satisfying – prompting us to play, drawing us closer into the present moment, and potentially transforming the way we live, work, learn and create.
