And the Award Goes To…

Once again we seem to be looking at how we can define media and its role in society and culture, and to be quite honest, I don’t think I am any closer to an articulate response to the question. But that isn’t to say that I’ve learnt nothing over the past 10 weeks. I may not be able to articulate exactly what media is, or exactly how media fits in to wider social ecologies, but what is apparent is that the relationship between the two is increasingly co-dependent.

While I would not presume to try and predict where the future may actually take us, I am confident in saying that an ever greater recognition of the significance media holds in the wider social and cultural arena is sure to be a defining characteristic of that future. In fact, in a lot of ways it is already happening. Just look at Obama’s 2008 Campaign. Social networking platforms and online games were at the forefront of his political campaign and were considered instrumental in his election. But that is just the tipping point.

Jane McGonigal’s (1) take on the future seems to epitomize this shift in the perception of what media actually is and what role it can play. While her focus is on gaming specifically, McGonigal’s stance is indicative of an entirely new approach to the field. That is, an approach which recognizes the inherent potential of media to actively shape the world in which we live, in and of themselves.

The question is; in the grand scheme of things, just how significant can a game really be? Could a game designer really win a Nobel Peace Prize? McGonigal seems to think so (and in the not to distant future I might add). She is predicting that in just over 10 years (by 2023 to be exact) the first game designer will win the coveted prize. (2) When I first came across the statement I thought it was naive at best, if not down right ludicrous.

“Gaming can make a better world” according to McGonigal. (3)

But to be quite honest my first thoughts upon reading this statement were ones of skepticism. The phrase ‘make a better world’ just seems so utopian and games by their very nature are just frivolous entertainment right?

Clearly my own knowledge of game design is very much stuck back in the early 90s (which was probably a contributing factor to my initial skepticism), but after spending some time actually looking around McGonigal’s site I’m starting to think that she may actually have a point. These so called 'games' are not just mindless entertainment. For one thing, their capacity for social organization has already been clearly established and from what McGonigal is proposing, it seems that their potential in medicine and psychology is just beginning to be seen. Perhaps a Nobel Peace Prize isn't out of the question after all.

References:

1. McGonigal, J 2011, You Found Me, http://janemcgonigal.com/ 
2. ibid                                      
3. ibid