A new computer game
has been developed by researchers which has allowed its players to see how they
might look in 20 years if they were to carry on smoking.
Smoking, and the diseases related to it, is one of the
biggest killers across the world. It might seem strange to some non-smokers
that smokers would put themselves through that risk on a daily basis, but to
smokers, addiction can be one of the biggest challenges of their lives. Being a
quitter myself, every day I feel the temptation to pick up that cigarette, but
pure willpower alone stops me. However, pure willpower alone isn’t enough for
some people who need a bit of extra help.
One new form of help has come in the form of an interactive
game called ‘Super Smoky’. During this game the players were presented with a number of different scenarios, including having to make decisions in situations involving smoking as well as showing players what they might look like
in 20 years if they were to continue smoking. It was shown that the players of
this game were so affected by the negative consequences of smoking in the game
that they had developed more negative attitudes towards smoking, and considered
themselves much more likely to quit.
This form of quitting aid could be particularly effective
with the younger demographic, who have been shown to be particularly inept at
visualizing their own future, especially in terms of their health.
If you want to get an idea of the sort of image you’d be
presented with if you played this game, then download the ‘Aging Booth’ app
from the app store. Be careful though, because you might be in for a bit of a
shock, here’s what I’m going to look like in 20 years:
So, what do you think about this particular aid? Do you
think it would help you quit? Write below with your comments or questions.
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