Have you ever had a long, tiresome day and thought something along the lines of, “Man, I want to go home and do something technological to shake off this funk?” If so, you have a very bizarre way of running your internal monologue, but it’s okay- as long as you refrain from answering yourself in a strange voice, you will probably be all right, though. We all use technology to feel better in some form or another. After all, even the most ascetic members of our society have a heating system set up in our homes, which acts to keep us warm when the temperature dips below “don’t go outside without a coat on, or you might just die.” Which no thermometer in the history of the world has it written out like that, it is true- and it does help people feel better.

But what about video games and TV? Did you know that there has actually been clinical research which suggests that playing video games actually helps people to lift their moods? Some researchers (as well as gamers) have supposed that playing a game, with its various accomplishments and rewards, helps a person who does not feel as if their life is in order or under their control to get a sense that maybe it is. If this were more applicable to every day life, it could have great potential benefits to our society.

Imagine a world in which people could game their way into being better at whatever they lacked skill at. While it would be a little weird at first to play “Accounting Hero,” imagine how greatly it would benefit us all during (and in that scary lull period immediately before) tax season every year. Of course, it might take a little bit of work away from CPAs, but the likelihood is that they will still have plenty to do no matter what sorts of games we play. They’re pretty resourceful.