How Fake is Your Fun?
apparently there is an art to fun?
On Friday, I attended an all-day conference at Blue Ridge Community College, hosted by the Campus Suicide Prevention Center of Virginia. The theme was “Social Connection in a Digital Age,” which felt particularly relevant to my work at GW.
The whole day was fantastic, but one workshop stood out. It was titled “Making Spaces for Fun,” led by Laurie Fritsch, who manages digital wellbeing at Virginia Tech. The workshop was grounded in research from The Power of Fun by Catherine Price, and used a worksheet inspired by her work.
Price makes an important distinction between “true fun” and “fake fun.” She defines true fun as:
“the combination of playfulness, connection, and flow. It makes us feel nourished and refreshed. True fun is restorative, increases resilience and empathy, creates community, and reduces resentment. True fun does wonders for our emotional wellbeing by empowering us to connect with other people, escape from self-judgement, and be fully present.”
In contrast, fake fun refers to activities marketed as fun, but often feel numbing or leave us feeling empty — think doom-scrolling, binge-watching TV, or mindless shopping. Price also points out that relaxing activities, such as reading or watching movies, aren’t necessarily the same as “fun.”
To help identify signs of true fun, here’s a list for inspiration:
Laughter
A sense of freedom, release, or letting go
Being fully absorbed and present
Not caring too much about the outcome
Childlike excitement or joy
A positive boost of energy
Feeling totally yourself
We then discussed our personal “fun factors.” We were asked to reflect on:
What activities make you lose track of time?
Who makes you laugh a lot?
Where do you find yourself having the most fun?
For me, activities that make me lose track of time include reading, rock climbing, hiking, cooking, and writing. Ryan and Fitz, along with my friends and parents, make me laugh the most. My most fun experiences tend to happen outdoors or when I’m trying something new.
Laurie then had us jot down a few memories of true fun. Interestingly, all my memories involved the same core group of people and outdoor adventures. Moments that stood out were times when things weren’t perfect, like getting caught in the rain on a hike or exploring NYC in freezing weather. What can I say? I love to suffer.
The second half of the workshop focused on brainstorming how to reconnect with true fun in our lives. We were given a list of prompts that really helped me think about expanding true fun in my daily routine. Here are the prompts, with my answers in bold:
I’m interested in learning to: play tennis
I’m interested in learning about: how to cook tempeh
I’m curious about: joint mobility
I’d like to try: cooking with new ingredients
I’d like to get better at: trail running
It might sound silly, but I’d love to: plan a PowerPoint party where everyone explains their job in 3 minutes
When I was a child, I enjoyed: telling stories and writing
Things I used to do with my free time, but don’t anymore: friendship bracelets, crossword puzzles, and phone-free walks
Things I always say I want to do or learn, but supposedly don’t have time for: training Fitz
I feel alive when I’m: outdoor rock climbing
This workshop was a powerful reminder of what brings me the most joy and how can I prioritize true fun in my life. I encourage you to reflect on what activities you find the most fun and thinking of ways to integrate them into your routine!