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How video games change our minds: Dr. Sara Humphreys at TEDxTrentUniversity

2,077 views · Published 6 March 2014 · 15:06 · Indexed 8 October 2026

Channel: TEDx Talks · 2014 · Nonprofits & Activism

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How Video Games Change Our Minds: The Good, the Bad, the Ugly

Since she graduated with a doctorate in language and literature from the University of Waterloo, Sara has studied how popular narratives make us tick, particularly when these stories are reproduced in 3-D and digital form. Sara is an award-winning researcher and is published in the field of video game studies and rhetoric. Her current book project is entitled 'Manifest Destiny 2.0'.

Video games are, hands down, one of the most popular forms of entertainment on the planet, but are they simply entertainment? What if they are  becoming one of the main means by which we learn history, understand culture, and interact with each other? Video games persuade (and even  teach) us to think, fantasize, and behave. In this talk, video game researcher, Sara Humphreys, explains how video games shape our worldview. She argues that while we should be excited about the potential of powerful game mechanics, we also need to be critically aware of how we use this new form of cultural literacy. 

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