Should we stop progress? The question seems absurd and backward-looking to many people. Yet it is worth asking when we really look at the effects of technology. Indeed, our techniques are not as neutral as some people make them out to be. François Jarrige, a historian of science at the University of Burgundy, criticizes, among other things, "technosolutionism."
While the environmental crisis is before us, most propose technological solutions without thinking about their future consequences. Our beloved smartphones create incredible pollutants and rare earths are mined in appalling conditions in African countries. Yet these drawbacks are always downplayed while the benefits are oversold. What if the way forward is not a halt to progress? Rather, a thoughtful use of tools and techniques being less in the hands of economic giants, more ecological, ethical, etc.
Many serious games address the topic of sustainable development. Yet before such solutions were proposed, innovative people had to go against the social grain and fight to improve their environment. A humorous adventure game, hosted by the National Film Board, teaches children the attitudes they need to adopt to make a difference.
How do you talk to children about genetics and heredity? A British museum has come up with the method: design a game in which you create a line of adorable creatures with precise objectives. The game is fun, colorful and easy to learn. Even adults will succumb to the charms of the bugs and their large families.
There's nothing simple about being a farmer. You have to plan your activities throughout the year, make sure you have the right machinery, maintain it and so on. All with a view to ecology. A serious French game seeks to teach agroecology.
A veritable showcase for public health, Koam was developed by Nutrikeo, a consulting firm specializing in nutritional strategies. Supported by BPI France, the Nouvelle Aquitaine region and Europe, Koam is the result of two years' work by a team of leading specialists in nutrition, childhood, pedagogy, sociology, digital and behavioral theory.