The Human Footprint on the Environment

The Climate Game Pt 3

Everyone is aware of climate change, but many people are not very invested in it or aware of its details. In the paper "Let’s Go Deep into the Game to Save Our Planet! How an Immersive and Educational Video Game Reduces Psychological Distance and Raises Awareness" by Vicky-Lauren Bekoum Essokolo and Elisabeth Robinot, the authors discuss how video games can psychologically bring people closer to issues that initially seem too broad or far away. They write, "the further an event moves away from an individual’s direct experience on several psychological dimensions, the more abstract an individual’s mental representation of this event will be, and therefore less detailed"(page 3). However, video game can help combat this problem, as the authors write that "an immersive experience seems to have a real utility in reducing the psychological distance perceived...the use of serious games whose design “serves to improve skills, adapt to an environment, understand a phenomenon or better adhere to a message” ... offers this possibility and is a mean of learning". In other words, immersive video games have the potential to make players feel involved and invested in issues that can seem far too broad or complicated otherwise -- such as climate change. In The Climate Game, the player immerses themselves in the role of a world leader seeking to make choices to save the environment, and as they put themselves through difficult choices, the ideas of what must be done to combat global warming seem closer and more understandable, and the urgent need for climate action also begins to feel more real. One of the ways the game tries to increase player involvement is through "awards" for doing good things. 

These awards are collectable, almost like a trophy case, and make the player feel a sense of real accomplishment. This feeling of accomplishment is furthered by the development of some skills, as in The Climate Game players must adapt to the complicated environment of public policy and improve their decision-making skills, further helping them develop their understanding of climate change. 

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