Latest news with #Minotti
Wales Online
13-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Wales Online
WIN a luxurious London escape at Eccleston Square Hotel and a decadent sparkling Afternoon Tea for two at Biscuiteers Notting Hill
Treat yourself and someone special to an unforgettable two-night stay at Eccleston Square Hotel – an award-winning retreat and one of the best boutique hotels in London – tucked away in one of the capital's most exclusive and peaceful neighbourhoods. You'll stay in a beautifully designed guestroom with either a private patio or a picturesque balcony overlooking Eccleston Square Gardens. Inside, relax on a sumptuous Swedish, handcrafted Hästens adjustable massage bed, enjoy cutting-edge technology including Apple TV, SONOS sound system, and SmartGlass bathroom walls, and indulge in L'OCCITANE amenities for a five-star finish. On the ground floor, the elegant Minotti lounge, furnished with Italian handcrafted pieces, offers a serene space to unwind – perfect for couples or close friends seeking a sophisticated city break. Ideally located just steps from Belgravia's stylish Elizabeth Street and vibrant Eccleston Yards, you'll be surrounded by some of London's finest independent restaurants, bars, and boutiques – all just a short stroll from the hotel's front door. And that's not all… Your prize also includes a decadent Afternoon Tea for two at the iconic Biscuiteers Icing Café in Notting Hill. Enjoy a delicious spread of delicate finger sandwiches, exquisite pâtisserie, freshly baked scones, and their signature hand-iced biscuits – all served with a bespoke Tregothnan tea blend and a glass of Biscuiteers fizz. To round off the experience, you'll also take home a beautiful gift box of Biscuiteers' hand-iced Italian Rainbow Macarons – a sweet memento of your indulgent escape. Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply craving a child-free weekend of style and serenity, this exclusive prize is the perfect romantic retreat. Enter now for your chance to win this fabulous London experience for two! If you can't see the form, click here. This competition closes at 23:45 on the 15th June 2025. Good luck!
Tatler Asia
02-05-2025
- Tatler Asia
How to spend 48 hours in Nha Trang
Above Each private villa offers a tranquil retreat, complete with its own pool and sophisticated Minotti furnishings (photo: A Gran Meliá Hotel) Set on one of Nha Trang's most exquisite beaches, Villa Le Corail, A Gran Meliá Hotel, stands as a beacon of refined luxury—where Mediterranean flair meets Vietnamese elegance. Each private villa offers a tranquil retreat, complete with its own pool and sophisticated Minotti furnishings. The resort's ethos is rooted in sustainable luxury, blending seamlessly into the surrounding landscape to create a rare balance between opulence and nature—a sanctuary where elegance and serenity go hand in hand. Read more: 48 hours in: How to spend 48 hours in Phu Quoc Above Towering brick structures, weathered yet majestic, rise under the sun and whisper stories dating back to the 7th century (photo: bomanhatrang) A visit to Ponagar Tower is a step into the echoes of time, offering a glimpse into the enduring beauty of Cham culture. Towering brick structures, weathered yet majestic, rise under the sun and whisper stories dating back to the 7th century. Above The sacred Po Nagar Festival breathes life into the site, filling it with traditional ceremonies and mesmerising Cham performances that linger in memory long after they end (photo: lvtravel) From the hilltop, you're treated to sweeping views of the calm Cai River and the bustle of city life below. In the third lunar month, the sacred Po Nagar Festival breathes life into the site, filling it with traditional ceremonies and mesmerising Cham performances that linger in memory long after they end. Day 2 Watch the sunrise and enjoy a Mediterranean breakfast at Natura Above Begin the day at Natura with a breakfast that's both vibrant and elegant Begin the day at Natura with a breakfast that's both vibrant and elegant—a Mediterranean spread crafted from the finest local ingredients. Expect crisp toast, garden-fresh salads, and artisan cheeses, all thoughtfully plated. Highlights might include perfectly cooked eggs, pan-seared salmon, or ripe tropical fruit, accompanied by a cool glass of juice in the morning light. Diving at Hon Mun and visiting Hon Tam and Hon Mieu Above At Hon Mun, the sea unveils a kaleidoscope beneath the surface (photo: Subtle Cinematics) At Hon Mun, the sea unveils a kaleidoscope beneath the surface—brilliant coral gardens and a flurry of tropical fish darting through sunlit waters. Whether you snorkel close to the surface or dive deeper with a tank, the underwater world here is nothing short of spellbinding. A short journey to nearby Hon Tam and Hon Mieu continues the enchantment, offering moments of peace and playful discovery in equal measure. Above Perfect for unwinding or taking part in activities such as kayaking and paragliding (photo: Hon Mui Resort) Continuing the journey, Hon Tam greets you with its pristine white sand beach and the shade of swaying coconut trees—perfect for unwinding or taking part in activities such as kayaking and paragliding. Over at Hon Mieu, visit the Tri Nguyen Aquarium, home to a variety of fascinating marine species, or simply enjoy a leisurely stroll along the beach, soaking in the peaceful atmosphere of the fishing village. Fresh seafood lunch on boat Above The serene waters of Nha Trang resemble a vast mirror, gently rocking the boat as it glides between the protective embrace of the islands (photo: getyourguide) Above The sweetness of freshly cooked lobster, the satisfying crunch of squid, and the delicate, melt-in-the-mouth grouper—all are captured straight from the ocean, prepared while still fresh (photo: vinwonders) The serene waters of Nha Trang resemble a vast mirror, gently rocking the boat as it glides between the protective embrace of the islands. Sunlight sparkles on the waves, casting a silver sheen across the sky. The enticing scent of grilled seafood fills the air, awakening the senses. The sweetness of freshly cooked lobster, the satisfying crunch of squid, and the delicate, melt-in-the-mouth grouper—all are captured straight from the ocean, prepared while still fresh. Let the luxury cruise transport you to Nha Trang, one of the world's most captivating bays. As the boat cuts through the turquoise water, an awe-inspiring panorama unfolds before you: dramatic, undulating islands, from Hon Mun with its vibrant coral reefs to Hon Tam with its lush green carpet. Above The playful sunlight twinkles on the water's surface, merging with the salty sea breeze to create a serene oasis where all concerns melt away (photo: getyourguide) The playful sunlight twinkles on the water's surface, merging with the salty sea breeze to create a serene oasis where all concerns melt away. During this picturesque journey, you can dive into the refreshing waters, explore the underwater world, or simply capture the expansive ocean in your thoughts. The yacht's luxurious amenities—from the stylish sundeck to the chic bar and soothing tunes—turn this trip into an experience worthy of royalty. Under the guidance of Michelin-starred chef Marcos Morán, Hispania Nha Trang takes diners on a culinary adventure, blending premium Spanish ingredients with the best of Vietnamese cuisine. This innovative fusion results in visually stunning dishes that combine fine culinary techniques with a rich cultural exchange. Above For an unforgettable dining experience, the tasting menu at Hispania Nha Trang offers interactive touches Above Hispania Nha Trang immerses diners in the vibrant world of Spanish gastronomy Above Chef Marcos Morán is a global ambassador for Spanish cuisine Above Each dish beautifully merges Spanish traditions with local Vietnamese ingredients As a global ambassador for Spanish cuisine, Chef Marcos Morán has earned numerous prestigious accolades, including recognition in the World's 50 Best Restaurants list. At Hispania Nha Trang, he brings his vision to life by personally curating the menu and training the team, ensuring that each dish beautifully merges Spanish traditions with local Vietnamese ingredients. For an unforgettable dining experience, the Tasting Menu offers interactive touches, such as table-side paella service and tapas to share—immersing diners in the vibrant world of Spanish gastronomy. Day 3 Start your day with Doc Lech jellyfish noodles Above The enticing aroma of the clear, sweet broth, simmered from fresh fish and bones, is truly captivating (photo: cungdi) Begin your day with a bowl of jellyfish noodles at Doc Lech in Nha Trang—a perfect way to savour the flavours of the ocean. The enticing aroma of the clear, sweet broth, simmered from fresh fish and bones, is truly captivating. The dish's star is the crunchy, fresh jellyfish, which blends seamlessly with the soft noodles, crisp green vegetables, and a hint of rich shrimp paste. In this humble setting, each spoonful of the hot, comforting broth transports you to the heart of coastal cuisine, offering both authenticity and sophistication in every bite. Soak in Thap Ba hot mineral mud Above Rich in natural minerals, the mud is not only beneficial for the skin but also promotes improved circulation and pain relief (photo: tripadvisor) A soak in the hot mineral mud at Thap Ba Hot Spring Resort promises the ultimate relaxation, rejuvenating both body and soul. As you settle into the warm, smooth mud bath, the soothing sensation spreads through you, easing away fatigue and stress. Rich in natural minerals, the mud is not only beneficial for the skin but also promotes improved circulation and pain relief. Set against a backdrop of lush greenery, with the gentle sound of flowing water, the resort offers a peaceful escape from the hustle and bustle of daily life. Above The Tatler Best Vietnam 2025 list and 23 Best-in-Class awards, celebrating the finest names in the hotel, restaurant, and bar industries in Vietnam The Tatler Best Vietnam 2025 list and 23 Best-in-Class awards, celebrating the finest names in the hotel, restaurant, and bar industries in Vietnam, will be officially revealed at the Tatler Best Vietnam 2025 event on 7 May 2025. The event, supported by champagne brand Moët & Chandon, will be sponsored by Sofitel Saigon Plaza, technology solutions brand Speed POS, cosmetics brand Menard, floral design brand PoDo Flower, technology provider Eventista, fine dining restaurant The Monkey Gallery DINING, and Noriboi Omakase. Tatler Best is Asia's definitive guide to the region's top 100 hotels, 100 restaurants, and 100 bars, honouring excellence in hospitality and dining. With 23 Best-in-Class awards—10 hotels, 8 restaurants, and 5 bars—Tatler Best celebrates the elite of hospitality. Nominees are selected based on the expertise of Asia's most discerning travel, food, and beverage connoisseurs, individuals who reflect the region's evolving tastes.
Vancouver Sun
01-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vancouver Sun
The Home Front: The many wonders of Milan Design Week
Article content From bold debuts to nostalgic glamour, Milan Design Week 2025, which took place last month, delivered light, colour and magic. Vancouver studio A-N-D made waves, Christian Woo surprised all, Bocci showed its signature magic, and Italian brands like Minotti and Paola Lenti dazzled with retro flair and Mediterranean calm. Article content Article content Article content Article content One of the best surprises at the show was a collaboration between well-known Italian brand Zanotta and Vancouver designer Christian Woo. Article content Woo is known for his sculptural pieces and masterful woodwork, but amazed showgoers in Milan by stepping outside his usual palette, introducing bold colours and rich fabrics, says Burgers. 'It was unexpected but seamless. His clean lines and architectural forms remained, but softened with upholstery and saturated tones.' Article content It was a perfect debut for Milan Design Week, which is like a week of wonders, says Burgers. Article content 'That kind of surprise doesn't just catch your eye — it signals growth, relevance and a willingness to evolve. And in a place like Milan, that matters.' Article content Article content Tucked behind a garden gate in central Milan's Zona Vincenzo Monti, the Bocci showroom felt more like stepping into someone's home — like a friend with impeccable taste, says Burgers. Article content The Bocci apartment is set in a 20th-century residential building, with lighting installations that seamlessly integrate into the architecture. To mark Bocci's 20th anniversary, the apartment was transformed into The Numbers Between the Numbers, an immersive exhibition conceived by designer Omer Arbel and curated by David Alhadeff of architecture and design studio The Future Perfect. Article content Article content This apartment highlights one of the best things about Milan Design week, which is how the city itself transforms to become part of the who. Article content Article content 'Brands don't just show products, they create worlds.' Article content
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The psychology behind why children are hooked on Minecraft
Minecraft is the world's best-selling computer game and soon to be a Hollywood film. This is why children can't get enough of it. AJ Minotti has three children – and they all love playing Minecraft. His twin girls aged 10 and his six-year-old son are constantly building stuff with the endless supply of virtual blocks that fill the game. And Minotti, who works in marketing in Ohio, sometimes gets blown away with what they come up with. "Dad, I want to show you something," one of his daughters said to him recently as she held out the screen of her Nintendo Switch. Her avatar stood before a waterfall. After pressing an in-game button, the waterfall stopped, revealing the entrance to a cave. Inside was a subterranean super-lair complete with interactive lighting and display areas for items that she had collected in the game. "It was like this whole underground mansion, basically," says Minotti, marvelling. "I was super impressed by it." His daughter had followed some YouTube tutorials but also came up with much of the design herself. "It takes me back to the feelings I had when I was a kid just hacking away on a computer," says Minotti. Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time. First released in 2009, it had sold more than 300 million copies by 2023. It, and similar games including Roblox and Terraria, are enjoyed by gamers of all ages, from young children to adults. The game seems able absorb the attention of children for up to hours at a time – no mean feat in our distraction-filled age. Some parents fear their children's interest in Minecraft can border on obsession, or even addiction, as they struggle to tear them away from the computer screen. Minecraft's popularity is such that it has now spawned a highly anticipated Hollywood film called A Minecraft Movie, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, which is due to be released in April 2025. There could be deep psychological – even evolutionary – factors behind the success of Minecraft and games like it, say experts. Such games tap into an innate instinct within all of us – one that underpins the success of our entire species. The desire to build. If you think about it, children have always enjoyed making things – sandcastles, forts, treehouses – to name a few. Consider also wooden blocks, playdough and Lego pieces. Minecraft is, arguably, just a recent iteration of this kind of play, but in a digital space. But why is building things so irresistible for many children in the first place? All mammals play when they're young, says Peter Gray, a psychologist who studies children's ways of learning at Boston College, in Massachusetts, US. Predatory animals, for example, play at catching things. Prey animals practise dodging and darting. "They play at the skills that are most important for them to develop for their survival and ultimate ability to mate," says Gray. Humans are unlike other animals in that we owe much of our survival to our ability to build stuff – from mud huts to tools for hunting and gathering. "It's not surprising that natural selection endowed young people with a strong drive to play at building things," says Gray. He notes that children also play using language and imagination, or make games that have rules and social interaction at their heart – all seemingly as part of preparation for adulthood. What youngsters choose to build during playtime, and how they build it, tends to reflect the culture they live in, says Gray. "We should not be at all surprised that kids are really drawn to playing on computers today – nor should that distress us," he says. "Kids know in their bones, in their instincts I would say, that these are the skills [they] need to develop." Minecraft players tend to differ from the population at large, being substantially more curious and less driven by traits such as vengeance Julian Togelius, a computer scientist at New York University, has noticed the impulse to build things emerging in his son – who is not even three years old. At nursery, he immediately starts making tunnels so that he can drive toy trains and trucks through them, explains Togelius. When his son gets a bit older, computers might become irresistible. Crucially, sandbox games – video games such as Minecraft that offer players the freedom to explore their creativity without any particular goal – make it easy to interact with and do things on computers, says Togelius. "In Minecraft world, creating [something] is direct and simple," he explains. "It's way easier than writing code." In other words, games like this satisfy the innate urge to build when computers, traditionally, might otherwise hinder that impulse, especially for children. And yet constructive play isn't the only draw. While sandbox mode in the game lets players create with freedom, there's also Survival Mode, in which the gamer is tasked with fighting off enemies. Minotti also notes that there is a social side to the game too. When his kids can't meet up with their friends or cousins in-person, they can do so online: "It becomes that virtual hangout space." Minecraft is perhaps better thought of as an arena or virtual playground within which children can find their own niche – since they can choose from a wide range of activities and play styles. Togelius has studied how gamers' behaviour in Minecraft reveals aspects of their personalities. He argues that, because of the freedom afforded to players, it is easier to express themselves in the game than in, say, the arcade classic Asteroids, where players shoot at incoming space rocks. As part of his study, Togelius and colleagues asked adult participants to answer a questionnaire that revealed details of their personalities. They then compared those results to how each participant played Minecraft. The participants' in-game behaviour correlated with certain traits. "Independence is strongly predicted by not finishing the main quest in the game," says Togelius. Plus, people who expressed having deeply-held family values in their questionnaire responses seemed to unwittingly demonstrate that through their in-game activities. "They build little homes and fortresses with fences and stuff." While Togelius hasn't repeated the study with children, he says he wouldn't be surprised if their personalities also manifested themselves in-game, too. He also found that Minecraft players in their survey tended to differ from the population at large, being substantially more curious and less driven by traits such as vengeance. The breadth of possibilities in sandbox games helps to ensure wide appeal, says Bailey Brashears, a psychologist at Texas Tech University, who last year published a thesis on how Minecraft can be used as a psychological research tool. Brashears identified five distinct gameplay aspects. There's a social element, the opportunity to feel competent through combat or exploration-based play, engineering, creativity and finally survival-based gameplay. "Most games, you're only going to get one or two of these elements," Brashears says. "You'll get a game that's mostly social play and survival – like Fortnite," she says. Of course, the amount of time children spend playing Minecraft speaks to wider concerns around how much screen time they are getting in general. (Read this article by Melissa Hogenboom about why not all screen time is the same for children.) But Minotti stresses that his children have varied playtime – they love outdoor activities such as basketball, as well as video games. But sometimes, he has to remind them not to play video games excessively and he also steps in to approve any online friend requests. "We don't just set them free on the internet," he adds. The NSPCC, a children's charity in the UK, has published advice on how to keep kids safe when playing Minecraft and games like it. There have been serious cases of child grooming and abuse in Minecraft. The chief executive of Roblox also recently sparked a fierce debate after saying parents should keep their children off his company's gaming platform if they are worried about them being exposed to harmful content through its games. Overall, Minotti is comfortable with the fact that his children spend plenty of time in Minecraft because he says he has clear oversight of what they're doing and because they use it so creatively. "It's basically just a digital playground," he says. Minecraft's broad appeal also means it provides an opportunity to connect with people in new ways. University professors, for example, used Minecraft to carry out online learning sessions during the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic. And primary school teachers in Ireland have reported success in engaging entire classes of pupils via Minecraft Education – a version of the game designed for classroom activities – says Éadaoin Slattery, a lecturer in psychology at the Technological University of the Shannon Midwest. Her research, featuring interviews with 11 teachers in Ireland, was funded by Microsoft, which owns Minecraft. Slattery mentions one example of a teacher who decided to set up a game within Minecraft Education to help his students learn Gaelic. "He talked about creating restaurants and different food in Minecraft – this would help the students learn different words," she says. Separate research has found that using Minecraft in classrooms can heighten pupils' motivation for school tasks, problem-solving, reading and writing, among other skills. Perhaps educational activities in Minecraft are taking advantage of the "flow state", or high level of concentration and focus, that players enter when they become deeply engrossed in the game. This phenomenon is associated with lots of different activities but it is so prevalent among Minecraft fans that it has made them the subject of study. It is part of the reason why children can become so absorbed in the game while ignoring everything else that is going on around them. That said, there is evidence that Minecraft is not universally engaging, and may have a gender imbalance. One study in Australia, which surveyed more than 700 parents, found that while 54% of boys aged three to 12 played Minecraft, only 32% of girls in that age group did. The study authors say that it is important for games and online platforms to engage girls just as much as boys – since those games help kids to develop the digital skills they will need later in life. AJ Minotti, for one, is not worried about his daughters struggling to get to grips with computers. "Minecraft really has become their thing," he says. "I have to ask them what's going on." And while his kids also enjoy making things with physical Lego bricks, for example, Minotti says they don't have room to store a tonne of Lego pieces at home. In the end, Minecraft offers an easy solution. "It's just having all the Lego pieces you could ever imagine," he says. -- For more technology news and insights, sign up to our Tech Decoded newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights to your inbox twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
BBC News
31-03-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
The psychology behind why your child's hooked on Minecraft
Minecraft is the world's best-selling computer game and soon to be a Hollywood film. This is why children can't get enough of it. AJ Minotti has three children – and they all love playing Minecraft. His twin girls aged 10 and his six-year-old son are constantly building stuff with the endless supply of virtual blocks that fill the game. And Minotti, who works in marketing in Ohio, sometimes gets blown away with what they come up with. "Dad, I want to show you something," one of his daughters said to him recently as she held out the screen of her Nintendo Switch. Her avatar stood before a waterfall. After pressing an in-game button, the waterfall stopped, revealing the entrance to a cave. Inside was a subterranean super-lair complete with interactive lighting and display areas for items that she had collected in the game. "It was like this whole underground mansion, basically," says Minotti, marvelling. "I was super impressed by it." His daughter had followed some YouTube tutorials but also came up with much of the design herself. "It takes me back to the feelings I had when I was a kid just hacking away on a computer," says Minotti. Minecraft is one of the most popular video games of all time. First released in 2009, it had sold more than 300 million copies by 2023. It, and similar games including Roblox and Terraria, are enjoyed by gamers of all ages, from young children to adults. The game seems able absorb the attention of children for up to hours at a time – no mean feat in our distraction-filled age. Some parents fear their children's interest in Minecraft can border on obsession, or even addiction, as they struggle to tear them away from the computer screen. Minecraft's popularity is such that it has now spawned a highly anticipated Hollywood film called A Minecraft Movie, starring Jack Black and Jason Momoa, which is due to be released in April 2025. There could be deep psychological – even evolutionary – factors behind the success of Minecraft and games like it, say experts. Such games tap into an innate instinct within all of us – one that underpins the success of our entire species. The desire to build. If you think about it, children have always enjoyed making things – sandcastles, forts, treehouses – to name a few. Consider also wooden blocks, playdough and Lego pieces. Minecraft is, arguably, just a recent iteration of this kind of play, but in a digital space. But why is building things so irresistible for many children in the first place? All mammals play when they're young, says Peter Gray, a psychologist who studies children's ways of learning at Boston College, in Massachusetts, US. Predatory animals, for example, play at catching things. Prey animals practise dodging and darting. "They play at the skills that are most important for them to develop for their survival and ultimate ability to mate," says Gray. Humans are unlike other animals in that we owe much of our survival to our ability to build stuff – from mud huts to tools for hunting and gathering. "It's not surprising that natural selection endowed young people with a strong drive to play at building things," says Gray. He notes that children also play using language and imagination, or make games that have rules and social interaction at their heart – all seemingly as part of preparation for adulthood. What youngsters choose to build during playtime, and how they build it, tends to reflect the culture they live in, says Gray. "We should not be at all surprised that kids are really drawn to playing on computers today – nor should that distress us," he says. "Kids know in their bones, in their instincts I would say, that these are the skills [they] need to develop." Julian Togelius, a computer scientist at New York University, has noticed the impulse to build things emerging in his son – who is not even three years old. At nursery, he immediately starts making tunnels so that he can drive toy trains and trucks through them, explains Togelius. When his son gets a bit older, computers might become irresistible. Crucially, sandbox games – video games such as Minecraft that offer players the freedom to explore their creativity without any particular goal – make it easy to interact with and do things on computers, says Togelius. "In Minecraft world, creating [something] is direct and simple," he explains. "It's way easier than writing code." In other words, games like this satisfy the innate urge to build when computers, traditionally, might otherwise hinder that impulse, especially for children. And yet constructive play isn't the only draw. While sandbox mode in the game lets players create with freedom, there's also Survival Mode, in which the gamer is tasked with fighting off enemies. Minotti also notes that there is a social side to the game too. When his kids can't meet up with their friends or cousins in-person, they can do so online: "It becomes that virtual hangout space." Minecraft is perhaps better thought of as an arena or virtual playground within which children can find their own niche – since they can choose from a wide range of activities and play styles. Togelius has studied how gamers' behaviour in Minecraft reveals aspects of their personalities. He argues that, because of the freedom afforded to players, it is easier to express themselves in the game than in, say, the arcade classic Asteroids, where players shoot at incoming space rocks. As part of his study, Togelius and colleagues asked adult participants to answer a questionnaire that revealed details of their personalities. They then compared those results to how each participant played Minecraft. The participants' in-game behaviour correlated with certain traits. "Independence is strongly predicted by not finishing the main quest in the game," says Togelius. Plus, people who expressed having deeply-held family values in their questionnaire responses seemed to unwittingly demonstrate that through their in-game activities. "They build little homes and fortresses with fences and stuff." While Togelius hasn't repeated the study with children, he says he wouldn't be surprised if their personalities also manifested themselves in-game, too. He also found that Minecraft players in their survey tended to differ from the population at large, being substantially more curious and less driven by traits such as vengeance. The breadth of possibilities in sandbox games helps to ensure wide appeal, says Bailey Brashears, a psychologist at Texas Tech University, who last year published a thesis on how Minecraft can be used as a psychological research tool. Brashears identified five distinct gameplay aspects. There's a social element, the opportunity to feel competent through combat or exploration-based play, engineering, creativity and finally survival-based gameplay. "Most games, you're only going to get one or two of these elements," Brashears says. "You'll get a game that's mostly social play and survival – like Fortnite," she says. Of course, the amount of time children spend playing Minecraft speaks to wider concerns around how much screen time they are getting in general. (Read this article by Melissa Hogenboom about why not all screen time is the same for children.) But Minotti stresses that his children have varied playtime – they love outdoor activities such as basketball, as well as video games. But sometimes, he has to remind them not to play video games excessively and he also steps in to approve any online friend requests. "We don't just set them free on the internet," he adds. The NSPCC, a children's charity in the UK, has published advice on how to keep kids safe when playing Minecraft and games like it. There have been serious cases of child grooming and abuse in Minecraft. The chief executive of Roblox also recently sparked a fierce debate after saying parents should keep their children off his company's gaming platform if they are worried about them being exposed to harmful content through its games. Overall, Minotti is comfortable with the fact that his children spend plenty of time in Minecraft because he says he has clear oversight of what they're doing and because they use it so creatively. "It's basically just a digital playground," he says. Minecraft's broad appeal also means it provides an opportunity to connect with people in new ways. University professors, for example, used Minecraft to carry out online learning sessions during the early years of the Covid-19 pandemic. And primary school teachers in Ireland have reported success in engaging entire classes of pupils via Minecraft Education – a version of the game designed for classroom activities – says Éadaoin Slattery, a lecturer in psychology at the Technological University of the Shannon Midwest. Her research, featuring interviews with 11 teachers in Ireland, was funded by Microsoft, which owns Minecraft. Slattery mentions one example of a teacher who decided to set up a game within Minecraft Education to help his students learn Gaelic. "He talked about creating restaurants and different food in Minecraft – this would help the students learn different words," she says. Separate research has found that using Minecraft in classrooms can heighten pupils' motivation for school tasks, problem-solving, reading and writing, among other skills. Perhaps educational activities in Minecraft are taking advantage of the "flow state", or high level of concentration and focus, that players enter when they become deeply engrossed in the game. This phenomenon is associated with lots of different activities but it is so prevalent among Minecraft fans that it has made them the subject of study. It is part of the reason why children can become so absorbed in the game while ignoring everything else that is going on around them. That said, there is evidence that Minecraft is not universally engaging, and may have a gender imbalance. One study in Australia, which surveyed more than 700 parents, found that while 54% of boys aged three to 12 played Minecraft, only 32% of girls in that age group did. The study authors say that it is important for games and online platforms to engage girls just as much as boys – since those games help kids to develop the digital skills they will need later in life. AJ Minotti, for one, is not worried about his daughters struggling to get to grips with computers. "Minecraft really has become their thing," he says. "I have to ask them what's going on." And while his kids also enjoy making things with physical Lego bricks, for example, Minotti says they don't have room to store a tonne of Lego pieces at home. In the end, Minecraft offers an easy solution. "It's just having all the Lego pieces you could ever imagine," he says. -- For more technology news and insights, sign up to our Tech Decoded newsletter, while The Essential List delivers a handpicked selection of features and insights to your inbox twice a week. For more science, technology, environment and health stories from the BBC, follow us on Facebook, X and Instagram.
