Video Games for the Health

Pandemic fatigue
- the feeling of being demotivated about following recommended behaviors to protect ourselves and
others from virus according to World Health Organization (WHO)
- feeling cynical and emotionally tired, ineffective in doing tasks, overthinking of the future, and being
less willing to obey health protocols are the symptoms of pandemic fatigue
Mike Wilson
- the founder of a video game company called Devolver Digital. He partnered with Ryan Douglas, a
medical device expert, to found DeepWell Digital Therapeutics.
DeepWell Digital Therapeutics
- a new video game company that aims to combine games and health treatment. The company also
wants their games to be approved by the Food and Drug Administration for digital therapeutics.
** According to Douglas, there are several studies proving that video games can be therapeutic, and he
would use these studies to create games that can treat mental health – from depression to attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
** Today, the company works on a game that targets mental health which is expected to be launched in
early 2023.

Shoebills in Danger
Shoebill (Balaeniceps rex)
- a living bird species that resembles Dodo birds because they are also quite tall and heavy. The only
difference is: shoebill can fly over short distances unlike Dodos that cannot.
- can grow as high as 1.5m and weigh as much as 7klos.
- its name came from their tan-colored bills that can reach a foot long.
- very territorial, solitary breeders
- each pair occupies a territory that is approx. 3km2
Purpose of their Bills
- to grab prey such as lungfish, tilapia, eels, snakes, and baby crocodiles
- to pour water on their eggs or chicks
- to court mates and send interlopers away.
** Sadly, shoebills are near to extinct.
International Union for Conservation of Nature
- warns that there are only 3,300 to 5,000 adult shoebills left in the wild, and their number continue
to decrease due to habitat destruction
Factors why it nears extinction
- the wetlands and swamps in Africa are being cleared for agriculture and aquaculture
- pollution from nearby oil factories and tanneries destroy their habitats
- some humans also hunt shoebills for food
- considered as bad luck in some cultures; hence the killings.
Conservation efforts
- imposing trade bans, raising awareness, restricting agricultural activities in core breeding areas, and
promoting sustainable wetland-based community enterprises
Extinctions Can Happen Not Just Once but Twice
Facts about extinction

 There have been at least five previous mass extinctions in the natural history of Earth
 The dinosaurs went extinct in the Cretaceous-Paleogene extinction that happened about 66 million
years ago
 Human activity contributes to the possible mass extinction
Extinction – the loss of a group of organisms, particularly an entire species.
Factors why extinction happen – climate change, disease, habitat destruction, lack of genetic diversity, food
shortage, overhunting, and pollution.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) – estimated that around 60% of global animal populations have gone extinct
over the last 50 years due to the unchecked growth of human society
** Scientist say that Earth has had at least five great mass extinctions, wherein a significant portion of life
was wiped out.
Cretaceous – Paleogene extinction – perhaps the most famous mass extinction which happened some 66
million years ago which scientist believed is caused by an asteroid that hit Earth.
** In 2019, Earth science researchers from the University College London in the United Kingdom estimated
that ecosystems need at least 2 million years to recover after a mass extinction.
** In February 2022, a group of researchers from the University of Oxford’s Department of Zoology warned
about the social consequences of extinction.
Societal Extinction – happens when a species disappears from our collective memory and cultural
knowledge, affecting how we view and protect the environment