From Board Games to Bored Games

Before technology had such a prominent place in everyones everyday life, playing board games was a common pastime that families and friends sat down around a table and played. Although board games are still in existence, I cannot remember the last time I sat around to play a game like Pictionary in my spare time. After reading an article about the new sensation of the Iphone app called Draw Something, I got to thinking about how people spend their free time.

Now a days it is not often that people set aside time to sit with a group of family or friends to play a board game. People now play games on their phones when they are bored. It is no longer a planned and shared interpersonal experience. Playing a game such as Draw Something, which is basically the digital version of Pictionary, is played when people need to kill time. The amount of time I see people playing games on their phone during lunch, while waiting for a meeting or standing in line is enough to make me think about how the definition of a simple pleasure like playing a board game has changed due to technology. While playing Draw Something, the player plays against one of his or her friends that is connected through Facebook or an email address. This is no longer an interpersonal experience. Is the experience of playing a game against someone via technology more rewarding than playing a board game in person? Do children growing up in this world today know what a board game is, or are they instantly trained to play games on their parents i-pads?

These questions are important to ask because as I post about the difference between past and present and how media and technology has changed a lot of values and systems in the world, I wonder what our society will be like in another ten years when technology becomes even more advanced. What do you think?