Gaming the System
Americans consume about 80% of the world’s opioids. Some studies estimate as many as 100 million of us are suffering from chronic pain. Could a world filled with penguins and otters be the solution to an ever-growing problem? It turns out that virtual reality and other video games might be effective in treating everything from ADHD to severe pain. In one small study that used a VR program to treat severe discomfort, “only one person didn’t report reduced pain … Overall, the patients reported that their pain fell by 60–75 per cent (compared to baseline) during their VR session, and by 30–50 per cent immediately afterwards. The best morphine does is 30 percent.” In the next year or so, you’ll be hearing a lot more about the use of games to treat various ailments. From Quartz: Virtual-reality worlds are a promising alternative to painkillers. (You just have to hope wearing the VR goggles doesn’t give you a stiff neck.)