Much is being made of the potential impact of video games on mental health. There are often headlines about the negative impact of video games on health and our culture is getting more sedentary. Video game addiction was also just classified a mental health disorder. Similar to arguments about social media I think we have to be cautious of automatically labeling video games as negative.
Litesprite is attempting to change the conversation around mental health and games. They have created a series of games to assist with anxiety and depression. With a friendly wolf as your guide, users get to learn basic cognitive behavioral therapy concepts and coping skills while having some fun along the way…
It was wonderful getting a demo from the the founder Swatee Surve. She walked me through the journey you take and some of the achievements you can earn. The end goal is to become a “zen master”. The design was simple and working with youth I thought maybe too simple. Much to my surprise, Swatee told me that the average user is a 40 year old female. I found the journey engaging and helpful. As with most therapy technology, creating a shared experience between therapist and user is important. There is a way to track symptoms and progress then discuss this along the “journey”.
So if you are someone you know is looking for an engaging piece of technology to help with anxiety and depression, check out Litesprite.
You can find the App on the App Store and Google Play.
