Why play games?
The purpose of games
The use of games for therapeutic purposes is a well tried and documented phenomenon – indeed, games are now seen as, possibly, more effective than handicrafts. The problem a lot of therapists have with popular, modern games is the huge number of games that do not require the presence of an opponent.
The major benefit of games in therapy is the necessary interaction of one person with another or, indeed, a person and an animal (games of fetch or obedience games). It is important that the relationship for the patient is with another person (or their pet) so that there is not only the benefit of being able to play but also the benefit of being able to see that the way you play will help (force) you to have a personal interaction with your opponent. This is called ‘having a personal relationship’ and is a vital part of all games therapy.
While there are solitary games used in some circumstances, these are nearly always with people who are not capable of sustaining a one-on-one contest without distress.
The computer and the numerous games consoles available has made gaming (or playing games) an unhealthy and insular activity. Very few computer games actually require a human opponent since the machine or the game itself serves that function. This means that the games become an end in themselves and remove the player from the social scene – indeed, much anti-social behaviour today can be blamed directly upon the inability of far too many young people to interact with each other.
The simple games of our youth were always played as a social event and had rules and boundaries that reflected a sort of order and logic. Modern computer games have little resemblance to what we recognise as ‘games’. They are individual trials against multiple levels of ingenius adversity and they become an obsession with the players. They live their lives desperate to get to the next level – or searching for the ‘cheat’ that will help them to cut a corner and achieve the same result. These games are no longer about competition with others – they are about beating the machine.
Maybe we should get back to another of the great aspects that many of us developed in our childhoods. Don’t you remember when, to get a particularly arduous or unpopular chore completed, we turned it into a game?
Why did so many of us lose that skill? Life, to me, is one long game and with so much difficult for me to accomplish at times, I call upon this old childhood skill every single day.
