Games and Mental Health in Decolonial Globalization

Celebrating 20 years since its founding in the United States and 12 years of operation in Brazil and Latin America, the "Games for Change" network presents a session at BIG Festival focused on the impacts of games on mental health, especially for children and adolescents. In addition to the discussion, therapeutic games supported by the Latin American network will be showcased, such as "Rebirth" and "Master Lemon" (Pepita Digital, winner of the "Pitch for Change" in 2022), "Lumens" (Iconomia), and "Purposyum" (United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime, UNODC). "In the past two years, there has been a significant increase in concerns about the effects of games, social media, and screen time on the cognitive development and emotional well-being of children and adolescents. The alerts are undeniable, and we need to tackle this challenge head-on, this global concern that mobilizes governments and professionals, both in China and in the United States or England," says Gilson Schwartz, President of Games for Change Latin America. Translation to Brazilian Sign Language