This is a good read. It really put words to a lot of feelings I have about social media. It also makes me very hopeful to know that an hour or two of Stardew Valley on a Sunday morning can help wash away some the weeks accumulated mental fatigue. Great work!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and reading ☺️ I think we all need to stop berating ourselves for gaming too much, and realising it’s a *much* healthier screen choice than our phones.
There are so many great quotes in your piece, but you nailed it with "clear goals, immediate feedback, and manageable levels of challenge"—this, to me, is the perfect summary of why cozy games are so satisfying. I also relate fully to what you write about the effect social media has on you (on us); I feel the same deep dissatisfaction when I catch myself scrolling mindlessly. It takes conscious effort to emerge from it and put the phone down; for me personally, years of mindfulness meditation helped as well, but I'm also seeing the cozy games I play in a new light.
Thank you for such a thoughtful essay, as always, Ellie.
Thank you so much, this is such a lovely comment to read!!
I think you’ve hit on something really important there too; the “manageable levels of challenge” aspect feels especially relevant at this stage of life, when so much of the real world already feels so demanding.
And yes, the social media dissatisfaction is exactly it. “Undernourished” was honestly the closest word I could find for that feeling afterwards. It’s fascinating that mindfulness meditation helped you as well, because the more I read around flow states and attention restoration, the more overlap I seem to find between those experiences and certain kinds of games.
Really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a thoughtful reply ❤️
This is a good read. It really put words to a lot of feelings I have about social media. It also makes me very hopeful to know that an hour or two of Stardew Valley on a Sunday morning can help wash away some the weeks accumulated mental fatigue. Great work!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for stopping by and reading ☺️ I think we all need to stop berating ourselves for gaming too much, and realising it’s a *much* healthier screen choice than our phones.
There are so many great quotes in your piece, but you nailed it with "clear goals, immediate feedback, and manageable levels of challenge"—this, to me, is the perfect summary of why cozy games are so satisfying. I also relate fully to what you write about the effect social media has on you (on us); I feel the same deep dissatisfaction when I catch myself scrolling mindlessly. It takes conscious effort to emerge from it and put the phone down; for me personally, years of mindfulness meditation helped as well, but I'm also seeing the cozy games I play in a new light.
Thank you for such a thoughtful essay, as always, Ellie.
Thank you so much, this is such a lovely comment to read!!
I think you’ve hit on something really important there too; the “manageable levels of challenge” aspect feels especially relevant at this stage of life, when so much of the real world already feels so demanding.
And yes, the social media dissatisfaction is exactly it. “Undernourished” was honestly the closest word I could find for that feeling afterwards. It’s fascinating that mindfulness meditation helped you as well, because the more I read around flow states and attention restoration, the more overlap I seem to find between those experiences and certain kinds of games.
Really appreciate you taking the time to leave such a thoughtful reply ❤️
I loved reading this piece so much—I’m so glad I found your Substack!