From: gmkeros@gmail.com   
      
   Source:   
   https://phys.org/news/2025-10-dungeons-dragons-game-leisure-expert.html   
      
      
      
   October 22, 2025   
   Dungeons & Dragons is more than a game, leisure expert says   
      
   by Michelle Marie Arean, Florida International University	   
      
   edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin   
      
   For most people, Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is simply a niche fantasy   
   table-top game. But around tables cluttered with dice, maps and   
   character sheets, players are doing far more than playing. They're   
   engaging in leisure. Serious leisure, to be exact. Sociologists define   
   serious leisure as a hobby that demands skill, commitment and personal   
   fulfillment, and FIU's Emily Messina says D&D fits the bill perfectly.   
      
   What starts as rolling dice can grow into months-long campaigns,   
   detailed character arc creations and collaborative storytelling, turning   
   a game into a structured, skill-driven pursuit that fosters   
   problem-solving, creativity and social bonds within a global community.   
      
   To understand what makes D&D more than just a pastime, Messina, an   
   associate professor and program director for FIU's Rehabilitation and   
   Recreational Therapy Program, studies how games like this promote   
   identity-building and connection. Inspired by a scene in "Stranger   
   Things" (season four, episode one), Messina set out to learn more about   
   how D&D relates to the concept of serious leisure.   
      
   She published her research findings in Leisure Studies.   
      
   The game provides players with "the sense of a safe space and a place to   
   create their own identity," Messina said.   
      
   In the 1980s, D&D was often dismissed—sometimes demonized—as an   
   inappropriate game due to perceived but unfounded links to the occult.   
   Today, it's widely recognized as a place for players to explore, connect   
   and express themselves.   
      
   "Players were comfortable being themselves by engaging in the game   
   pursuit," Messina said, "but at the same time were building personas in   
   line with, or in contrast to, their normal personality. They described   
   it as a way to take charge, or lead an effort in ways that their normal   
   personality would allow for, but they wouldn't be inclined to do."   
      
   Messina attributes this to the lack of real-world consequences. Players   
   may feel more comfortable from both social and safety perspectives. But   
   they do still have to be cautious as brash actions could get a beloved   
   character killed.   
      
   "That's not something you see in other games," Messina said. "It's   
   something they've been developing over months or years."   
      
   Beyond personal expression, Messina says the social and emotional   
   benefits of D&D reflect the very traits that make serious leisure   
   valuable: the sense of identity, the relationships built through shared   
   experiences and the continued connection with the same group of people   
   over time.   
      
   One participant from the study shared that as she grew older, the game   
   gave her a sense of belonging and a meaningful way to spend her time.   
      
   "As we're growing older and no longer playing sports, what does that   
   place for leisure activity look like for adults," Messina asked.   
      
   Leisure research has explored how people progress through their leisure   
   pursuits. When little league, dance class and high school drama are   
   things of the past, individuals often lose structured opportunities for   
   teamwork and creative expression. D&D helps fill that gap.   
      
   "For example," Messina added, "for thespians who no longer have plays to   
   take part in after high school and suddenly find themselves working for   
   an HR department, how would they express themselves? Where does that   
   identity go? Dungeons and Dragons would be a good outlet for that."   
      
   The game can also provide structure and purpose for people managing   
   mental illness who might not be able to hold a full-time job because of   
   their symptoms. The game gives them structure versus filling their day   
   with binge streaming.   
      
   "The idea of being able to use leisure to structure your time and gain   
   some wins lets you see a positive return on what you're dedicating your   
   time to, and building on that and seeing your skill sets grow," Messina   
   said.   
      
   "That's going to turn into self-determination. You're going to be more   
   motivated to build on your own skill sets and have a sense of autonomy."   
      
   Activities such as D&D can be used by young children as a reward   
   structure or with older adults, such as retirees, to help provide a   
   sense of purpose and daily rhythm.   
      
   "Post retirement is one of the most dangerous points in an adult's   
   life," she said. "They lose that sense of structure and possibly their   
   social connection."   
      
   Building structure through leisure pursuits after retirement has been   
   shown to help maintain physical fitness, social interaction, cognitive   
   processing and attention span and decrease depression.   
      
   "The idea of structure and reward with desired pursuit can work for all   
   ages," Messina said.   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)