We Are Experiencing a Loneliness Epidemic...
Why Owlbear Adventures?
Social Connection as a Basic Human Need
In 2023, the United States Surgeon General's Advisory published a report titled "Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General's Advisory on the Healing Effects of Social Connection and Community". This report outlines a concerning truth about our interconnected world: people are lacking meaningful social connection. The following are some relevant takeaways from the aforementioned publication that demonstrate this point.
- "A 2022 study found that when people were asked how close they felt to others emotionally, only 39% of adults in the U.S. felt very connected to others"
- "Recent studies have found that approximately half of U.S. adults report experiencing loneliness with some of the highest rates among young adults."
- "Lacking social connection can increase the risk for premature death as much as smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day."
(Office of the Surgeon General, 2023)
TTRPGs Are a Solution
Tabletop RPGs provide a place for youth feeling socially isolated to build the social-emotional skills to pursue meaningful social engagement in other contexts. There is an increasing body of research supporting the effectiveness of TTRPGs in a therapeutic context. Many of the skills intentionally taught using TTRPGs in therapy can be developed as a byproduct of playing TTRPGs in a safe and intentional space. Therefore, research supporting therapeutic TTRPGs can also demonstrate the effects of playing TTRPGs in general.
"The game's collaborative nature fosters social connection, emotional resilience, and personal growth..."
"Social withdrawal and impairment increase the risk of depression in adulthood; however developing social skills through RPGs in a structured, low-risk environment may help mitigate this risk. [TTRPGs'] collaborative nature fosters belonging and shared problem-solving, reinforcing real-life interpersonal skills."
(Rosenblad et al., 2025)
There is a significant bottleneck in the TTRPG space that makes it challenging for people, particularly youth, to find groups to play in. There simply aren't enough Game Masters for the number of people who want to play the game. Game Mastering can be intimidating, challenging, and time-consuming. Additional challenges exist for youth looking for spaces to play with their peers - often board game stores offer games that are predominantly attended by adults.
Owlbear Adventures fills this need for youth-centered gaming groups with a professional Game Master trained as a Mental Health Practitioner. Partnerships with therapists and skill builders add a layer of value that expand what we are able to accomplish in sessions and further reinforce the development of social-emotional skills. All youth are asked to provide is a willingness to attend sessions regularly. Everything else will be provided for them.
“The imaginative world of TTRPGs creates a degree of separation from the real world allowing youth to learn and grow in a low-stakes environment. As education moves towards more creative forms of learning—focusing on projects, play, collaboration, and creativity—there is an opportunity for TTRPGs to be used more broadly as a way to learn about SEL skills like regulation, collaboration, planning, perspective taking, and pretend play, as well as group process skills like problem solving, conflict resolution, delegation, strategy, and more.”
(Pitt et al., 2023)
Social
Skills
[1]
Fostering peer relationships and empathy through shared narrative and teamwork.
Program Goals
Empowering youth through collaborative storytelling and providing a meaningful social context.
Emotional Intelligence
[2]
Identity Exploration
[3]
Developing self-awareness and emotional regulation through collaborative role-playing.
Providing a welcoming environment for youth of all demographics to explore their identity.
[4]
Problem Solving
Enhancing critical thinking and creative problem-solving skills in a dynamic setting.
Disclaimer & Professional Commitment
Owlbear Adventures' services are not inherently therapeutic. This means our games will not aim to treat, correct, or have any effect on mental illness in those receiving our services unless a therapist is present. As outlined above: playing TTRPGs is associated with positive outcomes for youth in learning social skills, emotional intelligence, identity exploration, and problem solving, but Owlbear Adventures LLC does not guarantee that those receiving services will develop these skills as a result of participating.
Owlbear Adventures LLC is a safe space for all people regardless of their identity. Games will encourage acceptance, perspective taking, and openness.
Sources
Our Epidemic of Loneliness & Isolation
Office of the Surgeon General. (2023). Our epidemic of loneliness and isolation: The U.S. Surgeon General's advisory on the healing effects of social connection and community. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.hhs.gov/sites/default/files/surgeon-general-social-connection-advisory.pdf
How Youth Can Build Social & Emotional Skills Using TTRPGs
Pitt, C., Chen, K., Rubin, J., Gibson, D., & Bindman, S. (2023, January). How youth can build social and emotional skills with tabletop role-playing games: Research findings and actionable insights (White paper). foundry10. https://s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/craft-resource-files/How-Youth-Can-Build-Social-and-Emotional-Skills-with-Tabletop-Role-Playing-Games.pdf