Some preliminary brain storming on variations of possible thesis statements, based on my research questions and the research I’ve done so far:
- With the increasing use of technology in/as the workplace, the way that adults exhibit play behavior has changed.
- Adults who are not only allowed, but encouraged, to play in the workplace feel happier and more productive at work and in their outside of work lives than adults who are not allowed, or discouraged, from playful activities at work.
- Play is omnipresent throughout generations, although it may be exhibited differently among different groups. Because play is omnipresent, more effort should be focused on how to productively incorporate playfulness into the work place, instead of discouraging any “non-work” activities at work.
- Play is often described as “pointless” activity (it is more about the act of playing than the outcome of the play), and work is most often viewed as the opposite of play (work is primarily focused on the outcome, and the process(es) of work are often secondary or only come into questions when the outcome is not as expected.) By intertwining aspects of play into work activities, the process(es) may become more enjoyable for the worker, and the outcomes may become more desirable for the employer/boss/overseer/leader.
- By being given the freedom to play with new technologies in the workspace, workers may discover new ways of incorporating technology into their production process(es).