Video games are addictive -- literally. Kids have died, gotten obese, or contracted scurvy from this addiction. Others spend enough time at their console before the start of high school... that they basically could have completed several college degrees, had they spent that time reading, learning and discussing.
So why don't they? Because, although many teachers are great educators... they just don't understand motivation the way video game companies do.
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Fun fact: the other day, some crazy lady on the internet went haywire (or should I say... sleigh-wire?) at me because of a Facebook comment... about Santa. It wasn't the kind of "holiday cheer" I normally feel this time of year... but it did make me chuckle.
It also made me think -- should parents tell their kids about Santa? And as a psychologist, I'm pretty sure the answer is yes. Here's why: This is a blog about playfulness, social skills and self-expression. I've mocked the idea of "expressing yourself" by wearing certain clothes, instead of creating or doing. Meanwhile, I'd been writing songs for over a year, without ever really sharing them with anyone...
Until now. It's not even Black Friday yet, and the trump Make America Great Again Red Cap Collectible Ornament is selling out, quick. It's about as classy as anything else donald trump has put his name on. But what's even more impressive than the tackiness and price of this product... is the reviews people are leaving.
In a high school English class, once, my teacher told me, "Make the unfamiliar familiar; make the familiar unfamiliar."
It's good advice -- and it helps explain the existence of movie tropes. (That, and the fact that, if you want to write a Hollywood blockbuster, you have to follow a pretty simple and predictable format -- see also Save the Cat: The Last Book on Screenwriting You'll Ever Need, by Blake Snyder. You'll love it, even if you have no intention of ever writing a movie.) The Mayor of Palo Alto Wants Tech Companies (And Their Jobs) To Go Away. Here's Why I Do, Too.9/5/2016
In many ways, Palo Alto, CA, is a paradise. This wealthy Silicon Valley town is built on the backs of tech companies like Google, Facebook, Palantir, and countless others. But with the explosive growth of these companies have come some serious problems.
Housing is unaffordable to all but a few. Traffic is horrific. And many people get terrible cell coverage, because Palo Alto lacks the infrastructure to sustain its population.
There's a common myth in popular psychology that money doesn't buy happiness.
It totally does.
In my most recent Paved With Verbs blog post, I tackled a question a lot of high school students wonder about community service:
"How do volunteer work and service-related clubs look on applications? Do they, too, strike admissions officers as a sign of a complacent student whose main goal is to look good? What kind of specialized service opportunities TRULY give kids an edge in college and beyond?"
By now, I'm sure we've all heard of gamification -- a strategy that employs game-like elements in non-game contexts to improve employee, student or even just life engagement.
As someone who has studied and blogged about playfulness for years, I want to be on-board with the gamification movement. The problem is... a lot of managers are doing it totally wrong.
You know what I love about interacting with people who disagree with me? The inspiration that comes from hearing their viewpoints -- and the corresponding reevaluation and refining of my own views.
For example, I was recently asked whether it's sexist for women to expect to be entertained by men -- and it seemed like the asker was hoping for a definite yes. But the real answer... is maybe. |
About the Author
Eva is a content specialist with a passion for play, travel... and a little bit of girl power. Read more >
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