The Classic Board Game Verses Electronic Game Debate
The Classic Board Game Verses Electronic Game Debate
Our youth sit in isolation a great deal of the time, combating demons and mutants that are computer generated. Their opponent is a computer that has calculated movements and shows no emotion. What after happened to that real thrill of victory when you see the expression on the face of the person you just out smarted, out played and out witted? This excited feeling is lost when you just see an image on a screen with some fireworks or a high score. The expression 'poker face' is still thrown around in our vocabulary but it does not often relate to the personal confrontation of the true game of poker.
Part of the challenge of classic board games is reading your opponent. Knowing their habits and tricks and being able to stay one step ahead of them is part of your strategy. Facial expressions and body language can give you clues and signals that could actually give you an advantage. However if you misread the signals then it could easily work to your disadvantage. This is also part of the skill set needed when you actually face down an opponent. An electronic handheld game has a place and time.
For travel they are excellent, and if perhaps you want to work on your tactics and skills. However when something is played wisely a person lights up with joy, knowing their though process was a good one and the move was a success. On the other end of the scale, to see the frustration when something backfires and you know it worked against them also sends a message. There is a great deal of satisfaction to being able to figure out your challengers thought process by not only watching their moves on the board in a classic game like chess for example.
Break out of isolation and remind yourself of the pleasure of watching your opponent go down! See the smirk as they think they have 'one up' on you only to find out that your one step ahead. It really is a thrill and a challenge. It's a great skill and the personal contact and interaction is part of the art form of socializing that electronics games, online dating, texting and instant messaging are causing many to lose sight of. Let's go back and enjoy that face to face combat with a classic board game.