Playtime: Is it time we took 'play' more seriously?
Playtime: Is it time we took 'play' more seriously?
Playtime: Is it time we took 'play' more seriously?
January 13, 2022
By Steffan Powell
Summary
Play can mean anything, from spending your free time blasting away aliens on your console, to a weekly bridge session at the village hall.
Perhaps we subconsciously realise that play is beneficial for children, which is why many of us seem to accept it more readily - but when does that narrative start to change?
Is there a specific age at which some will start to deem it odd for people to spend their free time playing a game?
Backgammon hasn't brought peace to the Middle East just yet - but it's an example of how play can be much more than just a way to pass the time.
We know money makes the world go round and there's an argument that play needs to be taken more seriously, because it can help here, too.
Some look down on bingo as a game of no skill and see it as a "Waste of time" according to Dr Ryan, but for her, any form of play that evokes emotions like excitement, anticipation and elation in brains that are struggling to make sense of the world is deserving of more respect.
So whether you're sitting down to play Monopoly with the family or embarking on an evening of exploration through a fantasy realm online, think to yourself - is it just a way to pass the time? Or are you getting more out of it than you realised?
Reference
Powell, S. (2022, January 13). Playtime: Is it time we took 'play' more seriously? Retrieved February 17, 2022, from https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-59950823