But, and here is my point, it occurred to me that video games could be used for psychotherapeutic work. For example, phobias. What if–at an appropriate point–people manipulated digital images of themselves facing virtual spiders? Or a height? Or a small space?
What if technology were created to produce realistic approximations of a traumatizing event? What if you could place visual filters over parts of the situation, so as to do a sort of pendulation? Or have the filters appear, then briefly fade, then come back? What if you could recreate the scenario with a different ending? What if you suddenly sprouted superpowers, or huge strength, and fought off the menacing person? It would be interesting to try this.
And again, you could use video games to create scenarios in which, say, people repeatedly offer you cigarettes, and you say no. They repeatedly offer you drinks, and you say no. It could be used in addictions therapy.
We see the term “dual use” mainly used with regard to nuclear weapons, but I would argue that nearly all technology is dual use. It can be used to harm, and it can be used to heal.
Even guns are dual use: it all depends on who is pointing them at who, and why. I have never seen any gun control advocate in this country suggest that cops not have them. Why? They are useful tools, and this is generally recognized. Guns are to personal defense what wrenches are to car mechanics.