There's a cost to smartphone distractions—it's like trading critical thinking for mindless clicks. While endless scrolling gives instant gratification, board games (tabletops) offer deeper engagement, improving problem-solving skills and attention span. Constant iPhone usage diminishes concentration and the ability to tackle complex problems. Given this understanding, why aren’t schools adopting the counterintuitive strategy of customizing board games to enhance the learning experience?
Swipe left to improve mental skills doesn’t apply when it comes to board game because choosing to play over iPhone is a lost art. Board games offer a treasure trove of creativity and connection, serving as a reminder of the joy found in face-to-face interactions and strategic thinking.
Compare playing Monopoly or Confidence is Boss—which teach resource management, teamwork, and decision-making—with mindless phone games that offer little long-term benefit. Teens spend hours on social media and games on their phones may miss out on developing essential cognitive and social skills that board games offer. Instead, we find ourselves swapping thoughtful engagement for shallow entertainment and analytical reasoning for passive scrolling.
Board games build Brains while phones simply drain them. It's like a tug-o-war between
dopamine vs. development, screen time vs brain time and disconnect vs reconnect. We seem to forget the long-term cognitive development that board games provide and the mental exercise they offer. What's more common now adays is trading intellectual curiously for digital noise or deep focus for fleeting notifications and substituting problem-solving skills for idle browsing.
What if idle browsing, instant gratification, superficial likes and endless distraction was a game theme that all teens play? Do you think they will finally 'get on board' and focus more, develop critical thinking skills. Could there be a dopamine rush playing this or some personal development will take place?
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