Online entertainment is becoming more and more playful: what Canadians are doing
Play has been linked to improved mental health in adults, but most individuals stop playing when they are young. How can we rediscover the benefits of play once the toys have been put away?
She wanted to help her father recover from the brain cancer surgery he underwent in order to heal, and so did Federica Pallavicini. “I started researching techniques to increase his cognitive health without it being a burden or a reminder of his circumstance,” she says. The world of video games provided her with an unexpected wellspring of creativity.
What Pallavicini discovered about video games
A passion for video games runs through Pallavicini’s veins. She plays Call of Duty as part of her research as a psychologist on the potential benefits of virtual reality and video games for mental health and psychological well-being (CoD).
The first-person shooter puts players in the middle of a simulated war, so it’s not surprising that the genre is more often associated with negative than positive effects on mental health.
She also loved gambling, such as casino games. She paid special attention to DollyCasino Canada. This is one of the best casinos in Canada
However, Pallavicini maintains that her gaming time became a form of therapy that has been very beneficial to her daily life and ultimately inspired her to pursue a career in research. She began to wonder if perhaps her father could also benefit from gaming.
Pallavicini had reason to be hopeful. Individuals over the age of 18 who have more positive personality traits are more likely to take risks, have high drive and exhibit original thinking. It has even been shown that sociable personality qualities are associated with lower blood pressure.
The neglect of playfulness in adult Canada
Experts argue that the most interesting Spanish adults are those who can find humor and intellectual challenge in everyday events. Most Canadians are fun, but may not realize or develop the benefits. One can be addicted to Candy Crush on their morning commute, play video games with friends, or even share an inside joke with their partner or workplace.
One can reap the benefits of the fun in later life. Moreover, like meditation or exercise, play is a talent that can be developed, channeled and deployed for awareness.
It is suggested that people should not be afraid to find fun in things that are more often associated with children. Games that adults can enjoy are games that can be played live on iGaming sites and a few others.
As a general rule, the more out of the ordinary the encounter or activity, the more conducive it is to finding and developing your fun side.
Every Canada is different when it comes to having fun
How much fun Canada has when playing a game can vary greatly depending on his or her personality and willingness to try new types of interaction and experiences. If, for example, he enjoys spending time at home with his spouse or family and observing the results, experts suggest using the same conversational methods with co-workers or more distant friends.
Given the abundant evidence supporting a wide range of benefits of socializing, it doesn’t hurt to look a little harder for those brief moments that have considerably more influence than you think on yourself and the people you interact with.
Fun video games as healthy therapy
Fun-themed video games, as Pallavicini argues, are one of the few socially acceptable forms of play therapy for adults. Some people may feel the need to hide their fun urges, but that hasn’t stopped the explosion of the video and smartphone gaming market among adults.
By 2026, the global gaming market is expected to grow from $314 billion today to a projected $174 billion by 2022.
Pallavicini claims that the state of “flow” achieved by playing fun video games is beneficial to mental health. She defines flow as “the perfect feeling when nothing else matters,” which is the state experienced by athletes and other artists in the zone.
She suggests that playing while in a state of flow can be a welcome distraction from mental health issues and a pleasurable challenge that frees the player to focus on their own health and happiness.
Those little moments of play can be easy to overlook as an adult with responsibilities, deadlines and goals. The everyday becomes humorous when we reflect on those specific moments.