Sun., June 18, 2017 - A Vacation from Reality
So in the Games and Sim course I'm taking, I've become an avatar and get to explore Jokaydia Grid which is beautiful and perfect and safe. I was flying (1st hint I wasn't in Vermont anymore), and then accidentally landed in the water/ocean. Rather than drowning I simply walked on the ocean floor to land, which was quite odd, but kind of nice at the same time. There was no "risk," no "accident report" that had to be completed and sent to the SU and VSBIT. It struck me then that the true draw for virtual games is that it is a "vacation" from reality. The world is perfect, neat, no grass to be mowed, no barking dogs, etc. Often when people are stressed, strategies recommended to them are mindfulness, yoga, walking in nature, bubble bath, massage, prayer, etc. I've NEVER heard gaming recommended, but I'm going to add it to my list. For a short visit, I'm taken away to land with no worries where I can relax and be safe. Of course, you have to go to the right game to make this happen so I'm going to start a list of "Vacation from Reality" games for recharging the stressed, exhausted educators!
Hello Catherine,
ReplyDeleteVery true! Virtual worlds can be very relaxing when you make the right choices. Jokaydia is welcoming, calm, relatively free from upsetting things. World of Warcraft, well....you can see the difference just from the title. In any case, escaping from reality, or enjoying your own "virtual reality" can certainly be an awesome trip. The general public sees gaming as more of a "oh,THOSE gamers...." kind of recreation, but probably have no experience themselves in most cases. Mike B.
Hello again! I found it very cool to be able to fly in a virtual world, and sometimes just fly high and change the setting to no fly....falling from a high space and walking away or under the ocean.....well, hard to do that in real life. I think of people whop are housebound and how these worlds allow them a movement they may not otherwise have, connections, etc. and yes, you certainly escape the paperwork when you fall off a cliff in a virtual world. Mike B.
ReplyDeleteYou're right - the right game can be very relaxing. My two "go-to" stress relievers have been reading and playing some form of game. I noticed with reading, however, it was too easy to allow my mind to wander back to stressful thoughts. Gaming or being in a virtual world doesn't allow me to do that. If I'm playing a game, I'm problem-solving that's completely engaging me. If I'm in a virtual world, I'm creating or exploring, both equally absorbing. Then, after a while, when I've solved a number of "other world" problems or created something, I'm ready to return to real life - only this time with a better attitude.
ReplyDeleteHi Cathy - thank you for your post about your experience in Jokaygrid. I like the idea of safe risk taking and I didn't think about the online experience being this safe place until I read your post. Classrooms and out of class time activities should be safe places for students to learn and experiment. You are right this simulation program allows for that to happen. A student can fly... land in the water and then walk through the water... like you explained. Or a student can try to put together a virtual puzzle with unlimited tries while also working on spatial skills, as well as hand eye coordination and fine motor skills. If they work on it as a group, it teaches them cooperation in a way where people might have more patience. Also... thank you for your discussion of online experiences as stress relievers. I agree. I feel like I have a wonderfully calm experience while in our virtual world.
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