Angry Birds = Happy People
When I have free time, you won't find me playing video games. Not one. The closest thing to communing with technology for me is Facebooking. I will even admit I was once a little addicted to it..but that soon passed. So, I am mystified by the appeal of the game "Angry Birds". How so many can lose track of time, spending hours flinging imaginary birds across a tiny screen, was unexplainable to me...until now.
Finally, I found some serious insight on what can seem like a rather light topic, from a blog post on the Bern Medical website. The author (who doesn't identify him or herself by name) is clever...applying a concept called "Flow. The Psychology of Optimal Experience" to the addictive game. It clearly explains why playing Angry Birds actually makes people happy.
In short, it is a challenging activity that requires skill. Apparently, it's not just mindless - even though it looks that way to me. It challenges people to concentrate, giving them clear, achievable goals and plenty of fast feedback. The author goes on to explain playing Angry Birds removes people's awareness of the frustrations and worries of everyday life and offers players a sense of control. Maybe it's just over a game...but apparently makes it appear as if we can control our destiny. Finally, it makes time fly by.
These days, that kind of control and satisfaction is rare. We are at the mercy of our soured economy and, for many in America this year, an angry Mother Nature. So, if Angry Birds is an effective way to bring satisfaction...maybe even de-escalate the rising tension so many people feel in such stressful times...then play on! As long as it makes you happy.
