I was a gamer long before I was an academic, so my passion for videogame studies and research was seeded at an early age. Videogames invite entertaining, educational, introspective, emotional, and compelling aesthetic experiences. And in our increasingly technology-driven society, they’ve established a firm foothold as objects worthy of rigorous intellectual study. As such, videogames are studied across multiple academic disciplines, exploring them as socio-cultural artifacts that can reflect free market behavior and social trends; as avenues for understanding artificial intelligence and our society’s emerging relationship with advanced technology; as ethical case studies; as forms of mass entertainment and sport; as educational and motivational tools; and as potential artworks. In the never-ending quest to better understand the human condition and a life well-lived, the importance of understanding the complex role that sport and gaming play in society cannot be left out.
Email: zjurgensen@ou.edu
Philosophy & Humanities Advisor
OU Esports:
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