I teach English. What this means is what it has meant my entire life–people expect you to correct their grammar, hope to correct you at your grammar, and try to best you at word games. I enjoy a good hefty narrative video game with plenty of plot to chew, but sometimes, I like my words chewed, swallowed, and digested (okay, you caught me…it’s a Shakespeare quote). Facebook games seem to grow like a behemoth. Everyday, there is a new so-called “casual” game that snares the unsuspecting in its web of spending hours and hours of gameplay. Nerdy? No. A gamer? Of course, not! I only play on my lunch break or with my cousin or every other hour of the day. Admitting it is the first step. There are many more “gamers” out there than will care to admit it.
Scrabble, Lexulous, Words with Friends–any game that claims “intellect” as a qualification tends to spread like wildfire among my friends. It seems as if every time I choose a tile, my IQ is on the line. In fact, I even roped our very own Dr. B. into a game of Words with Friends with me. Why? Well, because I want to win! Why? People think that vast vocabularies are a sure sign of intelligence. If I beat Dr. B., does this mean that I am smarter than she? Hardly. Still, I might have bragging rights for a minute or two…
People who would not consider themselves wordsmiths, people who probably would avoid a face-to-face game of Scrabble like the plague are challenging their friends and family to a duel. I have lost to people who thought that all of my education should’ve rendered me the uncontested champion. It didn’t.
What fascinates me most about these word games is not only their popularity but also the historical context in which they are becoming popular. IMHO WTF? We text more and more. There is a panic that younger generations are not reading enough. The world is slowly becoming more illiterate! Nobody can spell! Before you know it, all we will be able to do is grunt!
Or, not. Still, these word games illustrate that people are challenging themselves when it comes to vocabulary. That we still value words enough to view them as necessary aspects of our intellectual prowess.
Will I vanquish Dr. B.? Only time will tell. In the end, our word games provide us with a reflection of our times. We play in order to improve ourselves, to prove ourselves–perhaps to ourselves–that we still value words, regardless of whatever new technology might be coming down the pike.
