makes it much easier for you to make the time and energy to achieve it, whether it’s tomorrow, next week, or even months from now. So make a tiny commitment right now to do some good in the world, and you’ll fully reap all the benefits of this quest.
The science of games reveals that we have more power to motivate and improve ourselves than we realize—to make positive change, to adopt new habits, to be better people, to do what is otherwise hard. Games show us how to strive for epic goals that inspire us—and in doing so, they help us build the strengths that inspire others.
MISSION COMPLETE
Skills Unlocked: How to Build Heroic Character Strengths
• If you want to make a change for the better or achieve a tough goal, don’t worry about motivation. Instead, focus on increasing your self-efficacy: confidence in your ability to solve your own problems and achieve your goals.
• The fastest and most reliable way to increase your self-efficacy is to learn how to play a new game. Any kind of game will do, because all games require you to learn new skills and tackle tough goals.
• The level of dopamine in your brain influences your ability to build self-efficacy. The more you have, the more determined you feel, and the less likely you are to give up. You’ll learn faster, too—because high dopamine levels improve your attention and help you process feedback more effectively. Keep in mind that video games have been shown to boost dopamine levels as much as intravenous amphetamines.
• Whenever you want to boost your dopamine levels, play a game—or make a prediction. Predictions prime your brain to pay closer attention and to anticipate a reward. (Playing “worst-case scenario bingo” is an excellent way to combine these two techniques!)
• You can also build self-efficacy vicariously by watching an avatar that looks like you accomplish feats in a virtual world.
• Whenever possible, customize video game avatars to look like you. Every time your avatar does something awesome, you’ll get a vicarious boost to your willpower and determination.
• Remember, self-efficacy doesn’t just help you. It can inspire you to help others. The more powerful you feel, the more likely you are to rise to the heroic occasion. So the next time you feel superpowerful, take a moment to ask yourself how you can use your powers for good.
You Can Make the Leap from Games to Gameful
Your Mission
Smash the boundaries that keep your gameful strengths separate from your real life.
So far we’ve looked at findings from more than one hundred scientific studies that reveal the natural gameful abilities we all possess: to control our attention, thoughts, and feelings; to connect and bond with virtually anyone; and to supercharge our willpower and determination.
But not everyone who plays games will succeed in translating these strengths from games to daily life. In fact, many gamers seem to suffer—academically, socially, or in their physical and mental health—as a result of excessive play, leading many to worry about “video game addiction.” How is it possible that some frequent game players benefit from play while others struggle?
It’s a paradox I’ve spent years researching, and I’m not the only one. Consider the following headlines. These are all actual results from peer-reviewed research on the impact of playing video games.
“Study Shows Videogames Linked to Depression and Lower Life Satisfaction”1
“Study Shows Frequent Gamers Experience Greater Levels of Happiness and Life Satisfaction”2
“Gaming Linked to Lower Grades, More Drug Use in Teenagers and College Students”3
“Video Game Play Linked to Higher Grades, Less Drug Use in High School and College Students”4
“Videogames Linked to Poor Relationships with Friends, Family”5
“Videogames Improve Family Relationships, Particularly Between Fathers and Daughters”6
It’s maddening, isn’t it? I’ve read literally hundreds of scientific papers on this topic, and many of them convincingly argue that playing games will make you more depressed, anxious, and socially isolated. But many more just as convincingly argue that playing games frequently will make you happier, healthier, and more ambitious, with stronger social support to boot.
It’s not that either group of researchers is wrong. They’re both right.
When you examine all the factors behind the diverging results, as I have, again and again you’ll come across one reason why only some gamers learn how to effectively apply these strengths in real-world contexts, such as work, school, health, or family. So what makes the difference?
It’s not, surprisingly, a matter of which games you play, or how much time you spend playing them. Instead, it depends entirely on why you play games.
Do you play to escape your real life, or do you play to make your real life better?
(If you’re not sure which you do, keep reading—this chapter will help you figure it out.)
If you typically play games to escape your real life—that is, to ignore your problems, to block unpleasant emotions, or to avoid confronting stressful situations—you will have a very difficult time translating your game skills to real life. An escapist approach to play really does increase depression, worsen social isolation, and make you less
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