Am I Working Hard or Wasting My Time?

Fingers clutching the edge of my iPad, thumbs bouncing on the controls, Timmy runs along the stone wall and jumps. But the timing is wrong, and he bumps into a wandering spider and crumples to the ground, fizzling. The last life heart on the screen fades. The game is over.

“This is a stupid game,” I cry. “I can’t even make it through the first level.”

I want to give up and declare that I’m not a video game player. “Video games are a waste of time.” But if that’s true, why do so many people spend hours playing them? The only way for me to find out is to keep playing to gain an inside experience of the game.

I guide Timmy along the wall a hundred or more times. He jumps from block to block, over and under obstacles, fizzling and regaining his life again and again before making it to the treasure chest containing a key. Finally, I can unlock the first dungeon. But first, I have to retrace my steps to the dungeon door, without losing my life. 

I wonder:

Do I say I don’t like particular games (and other activities) because I lack the necessary skills? Does enjoyment result from proficiency? Do I need to persevere before deciding that my game is stupid? 

I continue to play.

I exercise my fingers and thumbs, and my brain gets a workout too, which is good because I’m getting older. I don’t want stiff fingers that can’t open screw-top jars and a slow brain that can’t find the right word because of a slowly thickening fog.

Fighting old age is a good reason to play video games. 

Occasionally, I also have fun, a moment of satisfaction before attempting the next level.

Unschoolers don’t only do what they enjoy. They work hard despite the frustrations, unwilling to give up. With their eyes on the goal, they persevere. They gain their reward. They grin. Then they dive straight back into the frustration, setting off again, wanting to conquer another challenge. Games encourage perseverance when things get tough.

So, who said unschoolers are lazy and unwilling to challenge themselves? Or does working hard while playing a video game not count?

In case you’re interested, the game I’m playing is Tiny Dangerous Dungeons, a metroidvania game. (Isn’t metroidvania a delightful word?)