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Play and take a break

HOBBIES. There was a crowd at the Notre-Dame Center in Granby last Saturday during the third edition of the Video Game Fair. Latest generations of PC games, arcade games, racing simulators, virtual reality, retro game consoles: there was something for everyone. A big day for fans of on-screen games. But to maintain a certain balance in the face of this visual overstimulation, why not spend a day without a screen?

In total, the Video Game Fair welcomed more than 1,400 people. Many teenagers, but also older people, and many parents with their children, for whom video games constitute a family activity. “Participation more than doubled compared to last year. It was really nice to see so many families sharing this experience,” says Mélanie Morin, event coordinator for Granby Cultural and Community Life.

24 hours without a screen?

The success of the event demonstrates that video games are present in the lives of many people. Due to their often addictive nature, these electronic games can lead players to spend too much time in front of their screen, often alone.

For two years, Alysson Gince has managed Salon Tanuki*, in Granby, with her partner Cédric Fortin. It is an entertainment center specializing in video games providing a supervised space for players of various generations, game types and consoles. Herself passionate about gaming For years, Ms. Gince has had experience and completed training in support and integration of young people. This is why it has made it its mission to instill healthy lifestyle habits in its customers, so that video games and other screens do not take up all the free time of young people (and older people too).

One of the means she uses to achieve her goal is to encourage her Salon Tanuki clients to take up the challenge. 24 hours Breakwhich encourages participants to put aside their screens completely or partially for a day. Please note that this initiative does not only concern video games, but all the screens that we use daily. “I promote the 24 hours Break in our social media and in the virtual communities that we administer,” says Alysson Gince.

The Capsana organization, which encourages people to become active participants in their health, is organizing the 24 hours Break since 2019. This year, the challenge will take place on Sunday, November 17. The theme for 2024 is: “On November 17, get off your screen!” You can register online for free, and a prize of $1,000 will be drawn among participants aged 12 to 35. You can choose one of four challenge formulas:

  • 24 hours without social networks
  • 24 hours without video games (including phone games)
  • 24 hours without streaming (including YouTube)
  • THE ULTIMATE challenge: 24 hours without a screen (cell phone, computer, tablet, console, )

For registration and more information: www.pausetonecran.com.

* A tanuki is a Japanese raccoon found in several video games.

  • Alysson Gince, from Salon Tanuki, was busy at the Granby Video Game Fair. (Photo: GranbyExpress – Pierre Michaud)


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