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Are video games bad for us, or could they actually help our mental health?

In this episode of Emerging Tech Unpacked, host Lucy Lin sits down with Dr Michelle Chen, game developer, researcher, and founder of Mental Jam, to explore how video games can become powerful tools for emotional expression, empathy, and self‑care.

Michelle shares how her lived experiences of depression and anxiety inspired her to co‑create games with young people that turn real emotions into playable stories. She explains how her mental health-focused design, rejects addictive “pay‑to‑win” game systems, in favour of compassion‑driven mechanics like spoon limits and cozy characters, including a bubble‑tea‑loving wombat baristas 🧋🐾.

Whether you’re a gamer, a mental‑health advocate, or simply curious about the future of tech for good, this conversation will change the way you see your controller, your phone, and your own mental wellbeing.

With special thanks to the CSIRO ON Innovation Program for sponsoring this important episode! 🙏

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Chapters

00:00 Meet Dr. Michelle Chen & a Filipino Fun Fact

03:42 A Third-Culture Journey: Philippines, Taiwan, UK, Australia

07:11 A PhD in Gaming + Mental Health: Surviving Through COVID

15:22 Why Asians Don’t Talk About Mental Health (and How Gaming Open Doors)

21:47 Commercial vs Empathy-Driven Game Design (Avoiding Addictive Tricks)

24:35 Ethical Monetisation + Fixing Harmful Portrayals in Gaming

27:51 Women in Games: Representation, ‘Jiggle Physics,’ and More Female Devs

36:06 Designing Feelings: Embodied Sound vs Metaphor vs Narrative Games

39:14 Not All Games Are the Same: Violence, Cozy Play, and the PTSD Example

41:47 Consent, Safety & Ownership in Mental Health Co‑Creation

43:55 Culture & Language Barriers: Making Games for Diverse/Asian Families

51:57 CSIRO ON Program Pivot: 200+ Interviews and Focusing on Access & Early Intervention

54:56 Quickfire Skills for Game Dev & Founders: Creativity, Resilience, Communication

57:22 AI & Ethics in Mental Health + Game Studios: Chatbots, Copyright, and Human Art

01:02:54 Games as a Complement to Therapy: The ‘In‑Between’ Support Role

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