Why, from the very beginning of the development of civilization, not only children, but also adults always played?

In the business world, 2016 can easily be called a trend in the entertainment industry.

Why have online mobile games become a trend? Because even adults love to play and because the number of smartphone users is constantly growing.

In the next article I will show everything in numbers, but today we will talk about why all people, young and old, love to play and from the very beginning of the development of civilization, people have always played.

If you are reading this article, then you, like everyone else, love to play and at the end you will receive toys as a gift.

If you don’t think deeply, the concept of play is associated only with children - this is a big misconception.

But in fact, a person does not stop playing all his life, because they say “all life is a game” according to certain rules. Which we set for ourselves.

Often we stop liking this game of life, but we cannot get out of it, because it has certain rules. And sometimes we want to play another game of life, but the rules of that game allow others to join, but not you.

In sports, teams compete in athletics, biathlon, gymnastics - it’s just a competition. But hockey, football, and volleyball teams do not compete, but play. Don’t you think it’s not without reason that these competitions were called a game?

We grew up, but did not stop playing, only the games changed - checkers, chess, badminton, tennis. Many people like to play cards and lotto...

Computer games are simply a new stage in the development of games, dictated by time. First there were electronic toys, I remember playing Tetris. Then on computers, games are already built right into the system. There are also games for every taste on the Internet.

An entertaining page has been created on the blog, a page on which there are mobile games, as well as a crossword section. I will be holding crossword tournaments with real prizes, subscribe to the blog news to participate in them.

Why do adults love to play?

• To relieve tension or stress of the past day, to switch to the positive.
• Sometimes this is how one overcomes the fear of reality with its problems and troubles; in the game everything is solved easily and you can become and feel like a winner, at least in an unreal world.
• Sometimes they move away from real problems into virtual problems, which in any case will not affect real events.
• You can do everything in the game, even things you can’t do and things you would never do in life.
• And finally, a simple desire to kill time.
• Many more reasons can be written...

For example, before going to bed I like to play card solitaire on the computer - it erases the thoughts with which it was filled in my head, I don’t continue to solve problems in bed and therefore fall asleep easily.

In general, I love it. But nowadays you can easily see a 30-40 year old businessman or even a member of the government playing some kind of “shooting game”. And more professional than their children. Nobody thinks this is wrong.

Are mobile games beneficial or harmful?

Gaming has moved to a new level, mobile. And you can play mobile games while you are far from the computer.

Mobile Internet has taken the entertainment industry to a completely different level. This is convenience for players and billions of dollars in revenue for game creators.

You can play a mobile game absolutely anytime and anywhere. This allows people to pass the time while traveling, flying, at train stations and airports.
A huge variety of mobile games allows anyone to choose a game or several that suits them. Mobile games are incredibly colorful and dynamic, which attracts both children and adults.

Scientists write a lot about the benefits of mobile games, but they have not given a definitive answer; there is still a lot that remains unsolved.

Educational games, even for a two-year-old child, are useful within reasonable limits. During the game, the child’s practical skills develop and strengthen, he learns to think logically, and begins to train his memory. Children have always developed faster in a family where there are many other children to play with; children in kindergartens are more developed than children at home.

For older people, computer and mobile games prevent Alzheimer's disease. Even if you don’t have a partner to play checkers or chess, a computer can become one.

For people with enormous psychological stress, games relieve stress.

Although a game, of course, is a game, you can lose. But while honing your skills, you must follow the rules - these skills will certainly come in handy in life.

Have you noticed that happiness and success are found in those who live and work effortlessly?

There is also a lot of talk about the dangers of games, in the sense of gambling addiction and addiction to games.

But this is the same as with good wine - no one will cut down vineyards or stop the production of good grape wine because of the presence of alcoholism among the people.

Or the production of cars and planes increases, despite the fact that people die in car and plane crashes.

Mobile games online on smartphones and tablets are not only interesting, but also profitable?

The convenience of the mobile Internet cannot be overestimated and, accordingly, wide access to mobile communications has brought the gaming industry to a completely new level.

The growing quality of online games for mobile phones, their colors, and dynamics are attracting even more players to mobile games, and the work of game developers has increased.

My fellow countryman, 40-year-old Viktor Kisly, was in first place among the most successful Belarusian businessmen.

His childhood hobby, playing “tank”, and the fact that at school he spent a lot of time in his father’s software laboratory, led to the fact that at the age of 17 he and his friends began creating his first online game.

Victor has created a couple of dozen games, but the game World of Tanks brought fame and money to Victor Kisly. It is now one of the most popular mobile games in the CIS countries and most of the world.

If you have a smartphone, then you now have the opportunity to get acquainted with the best online mobile games.

Go to this site, choose a game for yourself, install it for free and also receive 20 tokens as a gift to participate in sweepstakes.

You probably won't take my word for it. After all, we are accustomed to the fact that games are associated with a useless activity that brings pleasure only to children and strange adults who play instead of supporting their family, communicating with friends and going fishing on weekends. Did I express your thoughts correctly?

First, I'll give you a study conducted by the University of North Carolina, which proved that adults who play computer games are happier and less depressed than those who do not play games.

Should we believe this study? I think yes. If only because there is no research that would prove the negative impact of games on a person’s emotional background. Of course, we've all heard about gamers who lost consciousness after spending 24 hours playing games. But these are exceptions to the rule rather than the norm.

In addition to this research, I would like to give 10 reasons why adults should play computer games.

You will connect with your inner child

Only a few of us do something interesting for ourselves after work. And constant thoughts about work (especially unloved ones) lead to depression and boredom.

You can choose any hobby that you like. And if these are games, then why not? Remember how much you played as a child. Once you create this connection with yourself as a child, you will realize that you can enjoy many things, not just games.

Games help overcome stress

The older we get, the more problems and obligations fall on our heads. Loans, debts, problems at work - all this creates stressful situations. First of all, you need to understand the cause of stress and get rid of it. And computer games can help you relax and take your mind off daily stress for a while.

They develop imagination

Anyone who has ever played computer games can say that they force the imagination to work, to associate oneself with the main character and to closely follow the plot. Will this help you in real life? Perhaps yes. After all, we all like people with a rich imagination.

Games are a great topic of conversation

You will be surprised, but many people play computer games. And the next time you're at a party, try casually asking your interlocutor about this. And if he likes to play, you'll have a good topic to talk about.

You will learn to find a balance between work and fun

If you can't get distracted and play all day long, it's not because the games are bad. It's about you. And games are just one way to escape from the problems in life. If they weren't there, you would have found something else. Try to find a middle ground between entertainment and responsibilities.

Games develop visual motor skills

Research shows that people who play computer games have better motor skills and coordination. This way you develop your physical skills. Many activities require good coordination and motor skills. For example, driving.

Hanging out with friends

If you are tired of going to the same places with your friends, try to diversify your leisure time with computer games. This can strengthen your relationships and help you stay close to your friends.

Games always have a goal

Games always have a goal, whether it's reaching a new level or some other achievement. This makes your time more interesting and exciting.

Exercises can be turned into games

Training in and on is wonderful. But sometimes they become too monotonous and boring. In such situations, gadgets like Kinect or Wii can be a great outlet.

Horrible moments of waiting in the past

Queues at banks, hospitals and other establishments can sometimes drive you crazy. It is in such situations that an exciting game on your smartphone, tablet or console can help not only have fun, but also save nerve cells.

What place do games play in your life? Do you consider them child's play, or is it still a good way to pass the time?

psychoanalyst's view

This is not the first, and, of course, not the last article about psychology of computer games, which was written for a psychological site. The topic is fertile - computers have become an integral part of life, and computer games - a seductive way to spend free time.

• Why do people play computer games?

• Computer game: is it good or bad?

• How to get rid of gambling addiction?

Thousands of people ask Yandex these and other similar questions every day. Considering these questions through the prism of psychoanalytic experience, I will try to give my answers to them.

People who play games

There is a common misconception that mostly teenagers play computer games. This is not entirely true. Rather, teenagers discuss their games more openly. Adults, on the other hand, often find the fact that they are attracted to certain computer games somewhat embarrassing or even shameful. And they continue to play them without advertising this fact among friends and strangers. In fact, computer games can capture a person of any age, gender, family and professional status.

Why are computer games attractive?

The game can take quite a lot of time (and not always free time). However, many people prefer to spend time in front of the monitor. Why is this happening?

Computer games allow you to be transported to “another world.” They, like nothing else, allow you to immerse yourself very deeply in this world, and even at the body level to feel its virtual reality. The situation of the game allows you to be as free within it as “real reality” will never allow. The worst consequence of a mistake or failure in a game is having to close it and start over.

Games are attractive because they allow feel something what is missing in everyday life. Or, on the contrary, NOT feel something that life has in abundance. In addition, some games allow you to to be someone another, someone attractive, someone one would like to feel like.

Example 1: Being Lara Croft?

A number of games, especially role-playing games, provide the opportunity feel like a different person than in reality. For example, a fearless, courageous, strong savior of an innocent victim of terrible monsters, or a beautiful, smart, athletic, exceptionally attractive female archaeologist, ready to risk her life to acquire incredible artifacts.

The ability to feel your own strength, attractiveness, fearlessly take risks, and successfully unravel ingenious mysteries is almost a drug. And the stronger it is, the fewer opportunities a person has to feel the same in his real life.

Example 2: Kill the monster!

Many games have a strong aggressive context: kill as many enemies as possible! crush the terrible monster! gain strength and become invincible! The player feels excitement, strength, power, and deep satisfaction from the mass destruction of virtual creatures. It may seem that the game causes aggression that the person did not have before - a compelling argument against computer games?

Why are these games so attractive to seemingly completely peaceful, sometimes even timid people in everyday life? Because they allow the expression of what he has repressedand aggression. They help to express what a person does not allow himself to manifest in reality - because the more a feeling is suppressed, the stronger and stronger it becomes somewhere deep inside. The virtual situation is safe, it makes it possible not to experience fear and guilt - those feelings that form the basis of the suppression of aggression.

Passion for aggressive games is attempt get in touch with your aggression and, perhaps, learn to manage it. True, this attempt is not always successful, because virtual reality is still very different from the real one.

Example 3. Playing solitaire...

A whole range of computer games (for example, logic games) were created in order to pass the time in situations of forced waiting. But sometimes it turns out that time is not superfluous at all, and it is impossible to break away from a simple and rather monotonous game. It would seem, well, what’s so addictive here?

Taking your attention, focusing on solving problems of varying degrees of complexity, watching a series of attractive visual images, going into an unpretentious virtual world of colored balls, maps, beautiful schemes, a person for a while moves away from the state of anxiety. By rearranging cards, grouping balls by color, or assembling words from letters, a person temporarily stops the flow of disturbing thoughts and images. But returning to reality also brings back anxiety.

Computer games: pros and cons?

Computer games can look like a completely pointless pastime if you look at them only from the perspective of external reality. For her, a person who spends hours in front of a monitor is practically lost. But since people are doing something, it means it has some kind of mental meaning. Which?

From the point of view of internal (mental) reality, computer games represent a kind of method of mental self-regulation. Game process helps relieve mental stress(to some extent). So they “go away” into the game from stress, dissatisfaction with their life and themselves, from the inability to show any strong emotions in real relationships.

This way of dealing with difficulties is similar to the use of alcohol as a way to regulate one’s state: playing (like alcohol) allows you to quickly (but only for a short time) change your internal state and relieve tension. When games are often resorted to as a means of achieving internal balance, it is possible gaming developmentdependencies. The mechanism of formation of alcoholic and gaming addiction similar: when mental tension is very high, there is a simple and rather pleasant way to quickly relieve it. This method does not require a particularly large investment of time, energy, money... In the case of alcohol, chemical dependence also comes into play. The creators of computer games fight for their clients, using various psychological techniques, schemes, tricks, and try to create games that touch truly deep strings in the human soul.

It is believed that online games are the most addictive. By coming into contact with other players in his virtual image, a person has the illusion of real relationships, real life. Then it's easy to lose track of the hours and sometimes the days. Physical needs, obligations to others, life circumstances fade into the background, and “the figure turns into the background” - virtual reality becomes more real for the player than “offline reality”.

Virtual Reality: In and Out

If computer games have become something more than a convenient way to while away free time, a person is faced with the fact that the passion for the game begins to disrupt the course of his daily life. The desire to get into the game becomes very demanding, even obsessive. And then the understanding may arise: “the games are over”, the gambling addiction. What to do?

Some people find it relatively easy to quit gaming. These are people with very strong willpower and a not very far-reaching passion for games. As a rule, such people, having realized their addiction, simply give up the game, removing it from the computer, and find something for themselves other, more suitable ways to cope with stress life.

Sometimes, friends who realize their addiction refuse to play together. A group effect arises: together it is easier to give up the formed habit, it is easier to find already half-forgotten activities in real life. And, of course, another person taken as an ally in the fight against addiction is controller(in front of whom it is a shame to break down), and support(so necessary sometimes in the fight with oneself). Of course, such a person could be someone close to you who does not suffer from gambling addiction. He can “strengthen” the player’s “I” captured by the passion, offering his willpower and determination to help find a way out of the virtual trap. But this help is truly effective only if the player is aware of his addiction and wants to get rid of it.

Sometimes it is not possible to cope with addiction alone or even with the help of friends and family, despite all the efforts and desire. This is usually due to the fact that there is not just a habit, but a serious internal attachment to the game. This happens when the game “serves” some important psychological needs or distracts from serious psychological problems. Then it is impossible to simply close the game and turn off the computer - as long as there are problems, our psyche will look for their solution (and the easiest way is a virtual pseudo-solution - it has already found it and will simply repeat it!). Therefore, getting rid of gambling addiction often lies through reducing the level of anxiety, freeing yourself from internal conflicts, accepting yourself, self-esteem and increasing the ability to actively express yourself in the outside world, increasing the ability to build and maintain close relationships with other people, and finding meaning in your own life.

Psychologist-psychanalyst
Training Analyst and CPT Supervisor

Many people love to play - cards and lotto, in a friendly company or in a casino, outdoors and on the computer. It would seem that what’s wrong with the human desire to play? Passion captures every person and this is not at all bad at first glance, because healthy passion can be in any area, for example in sports, study. But games can also be destructive.

What is gambling addiction

Gambling addiction is an emotional illness, an obsession with games. The harm of gambling addiction is obvious, because a person goes from life to a painful existence. And it all began with a feeling of euphoria, courage and even happiness.

To play or not to play? By the way, there is a misconception that children play games more often than adults. This is far from true, it’s just that children discuss gaming topics more openly. But gambling addiction can capture and captivate a person of any age or status. The game takes up, or rather steals, a lot of time (and not always free), while the person himself does not realize this.

Nowadays you won’t surprise anyone with the presence of a computer, and there is one in almost every home, but it was not created for games, but for work. People are looking for shelter from their real problems and find it in the virtual world.

Why are computer games popular in the virtual space? Among the main reasons are the dissatisfaction that people experience in their ordinary real life. And, in order to diversify their lives, many choose games and willingly go into the gaming world that the developers have invented and imposed on them. It would seem that you look at the game and don’t seem to see anything bad in it, but it still becomes more important than other activities, walks, communication and even meetings with friends. There is also a great desire to get the maximum result (victory) now and immediately, and not gradually. The problem of addiction grows and worsens, and the person himself believes that he has everything under control and everything is fine. Developers entice you to play more and more often. It has been proven that it is not at all difficult to control human behavior using simple reward systems. In the virtual world you can easily buy drawn things. The psyche of children and teenagers is completely defenseless against the cunning tricks of developers.

So why do people play games?

• fear of real real life - in virtual life it is easier to solve problems, there are magic buttons and Save and Load commands;
• to relieve stress;

You are also often overcome by the desire to switch your attention from real problems to such a desired, but virtual victory. Of course, there are many ways to do this - a walk in the fresh air, drink a cup of tea, read a book, watch your favorite movie, play sports. But in the game it is simpler and easier. In addition, people are led by:

• the desire to get into another reality - in the game you can do things that cannot be done in real life, for example, shoot thousands of opponents alone; virtuality has its own laws;
• the desire to kill time - you can immediately say that you are at the same time. No matter how terrible it may sound, it really is so. Suicide happens slowly. A person does not know what to do with himself in real life, he has no goal, no desire to live;
• the desire to be different - for example, to play the role of your idol, the hero of your favorite movie, who is considered smarter, more beautiful, stronger, with supernatural abilities.

The main reason for gambling addiction is pleasure, getting something new, unknown. But this feeling passes very quickly, literally in a few days, then the same type of actions begins, which becomes a habit, and over time becomes an addiction.