SNARGs: how technology will make people a little bit happier, perhaps

SNARGs are social network augmented reality games. They might be called
MARGs (multiplayer ARGs) but whatever they're called they might make
people happier.

A computer game where people can get together and play in their physical
enviormnent with other people will bring people together for real world
social contact. They'll make people walk around instead of sit at a
screen or explore the environment. This could be through new first
person shooter games or treasure hunt-type games.

There are strong associations between exercise in moderation and
positive benefits for physical and mental health Social contact or the
opposite of isolation also has strong correlations with positive well
being. Computers and computer games made children and adults less active
and more physically isolated so this change in leisure brought about by
mobile phone technology will reap rewards for society's needs and
individual happiness.

Of course there will be negative impacts too. Computer games can be
addictive as can exercise. Overexercise can produce negative results.
People can get addicted to the endorphin rush of exercise just as they
can get addicted to the dopamine reward from computer games.

I'd hope that gaming would bring people together but the reality is
people will still exclude others based on whatever prejudices exist on
the playground or in the office. There's always that kid that no one
wants to talk to or hang out with. I remember parts of my childhood
well. I can't even remember the reasons. People just do it though.

I'd hope perhaps that gaming culture might change and inclusiveness
becomes part of the ethos of SNARG culture. These games could be seen to
be about social inclusion rather than entertainment alone. It's the
change such that the game creator - the one who invites everyone to the
game - ensures that they include everyone rather than just the small
clique of their friends. It's wishful thinking but there are
possiblities to engender this culture because we're at the dawn of a
revolution. Historically it's always in these times that idealism shines
pure and shapes the future.

Crime may increase because smartphones are highly desirable but easily
stolen. I strongly suspect that a highly resilent theft-protection
system will become standard on all smartphones within the next few years
because the smartphone is a vulnerable piece of technology. To use
augmented reality people need to have their phones out in front of them
and this makes it even easier for the casual thief to steal a device.
Few people are made more happy by their prized possessions being taken
from them.

There's also the problem of the poor. The rich kids or those with
parents who cater to their child's every whim will have the latest games
and the best equipment. The poor children may be stuck using a Google
Nexus One or a iPhone 4G rather than a Ouidoo Gaian AN. They'll be only
able to use licensces for old or free games whereas their richer
counterparts will have the latest, most exciting and inevitably the most
expensive games, ones that can only be played with others who have the
right hardware and license. Socialisation between different groups
becomes less. The game creator is faced with the problem of only being
able to invite those who have the game installed. If there are still
multiple platforms and operating systems in the future this creates
another barrier to inclusive social network gaming. This means more, not
less, exclusion created by SNARGS and the health benefits of healthy
gaming and social contact might be lost to an already disadvantaged
minority. I suppose there's always football for them just as there's
always inferior goods for the poorest people in society but the work of
the technology sector as well as government should be to reduce these
inequalities between rich and poor and seek ways to unite rather than
divide cultures and society..