Today, after a one-on-on tutorial session with Jasminka, I’ve decided to pivot my project towards a topic that resonates more deeply with my – leveraging gaming elements for character building, identity exploration, and aiding those with social anxieties, like myself during my younger years. My experiences with video games, particularly with “The Sims,” where I crafted a socially charming character, showed me the potential of games to serve as a rehearsal space for real-life interactions. This helped me with my insecurities and social anxieties subtly, giving me a sandbox for social exploration.
During the discussion, I shared insights from a study on table-top roleplaying games, specifically “Dungeons and Dragons,” which highlighted the social benefits of engaging deeply with character roles. Jasminka appreciated the relevance of this study but also prompted me to consider how my project might differentiate from existing roleplaying therapies, which are typically at a professional therapeutic level. I think maybe something that is specifically focused on character development and identity exploration for those not in need to clinical intervention? Something that can offer a sandbox environment for social rehearsals? A low-stakes environment for individuals to experiment with their identities and social strategies? These are just my raw thoughts, I’m still early in and I need to refine this idea more, and I need to dive deeper into research.
very interesting.