Can We Learn About Our Psychological Health from a Video Game? | Dr. Alex Kriss #53

Do video games cause people to become more violent? This is a question that continues to come up whenever we deal with tragedies involving young people (especially young men) with a history of playing violent video games. Our guest this week, Dr. Alexander Kriss, a clinical psychologist, is skeptical of such claims. In this episode, we discuss how video game choices can help us better understand our own psychological state; we talk about why open-world games like MMORPGs are so popular; and we dissect the stigma of being a "gamer kid." We also talk a little bit about the following games: Myst, Everquest, Silent Hill 2, and even a little Resident Evil 2. So, hit the start button; choose your character; and join us for this episode of the Neutral Ground Podcast with me Dr. Joe Meyer.

// EPISODE LINKS //
Dr. Kriss' book (affiliate): https://amzn.to/3OvzcnuDr.
Kriss's website: https://alexkriss.com/

// EPISODE OUTLINE //
00:00 Teaser
00:22 Introduction
01:26 Start of conversation
03:34 I talk a bit about a student who felt lost
5:00 Thinking of gaming as skillsets
8:22 Is building a relationship to a character healthy?
11:41 Anyone remember Everquest? Yeah? Well, let's get a party going.
13:30 Uncovering anxieties through gaming
17:44 Are there benefits to playing open world games?
20:50 When was the last time you loaded up Myst?
22:55 What can we learn from a game like Depression Quest?
27:16 Can you talk about the role that D.W. Winnicott plays in your study?
33:10 Is there just as much value in virtual play as there is in environmental play?
37:55 What is the relationship between violence and violent video games?
48:05 What are games telling us about ourselves?
50:05 What advice would you give to parents?
55:44 Closing thoughts. Go on a quest already. What are you waiting for?

// LINK TREE WITH PODCAST AND SOCIALS//
https://linktr.ee/neutralgroundpodcast

Would you like to do your part to help bring civility back to our conversations? We need to get The Neutral Ground message in front of more people, and you can help with just a few keystrokes and some clicks of a mouse.
1) Start by hitting the subscribe button and turning on notifications.
2) Then, hit the like button.
3) Leave a thoughtful/uplifting comment for others to engage with.
4) Watch another video on the channel.
5) Share the channel or a video with someone else on your social media accounts.
6) You can also subscribe to the podcast on any one of the following platforms as well: Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Joemeyer.substack.com I realize that you do not have to do any of this. Therefore, even f you do just one of those items listed, I am genuinely grateful. Try to keep one foot firmly planted on the Neutral Ground, and have a great day. #videogames #gamer #psychology #addiction #gaming