Description of the game 6 Hats
In today's digital age, where information is just a click away, we face complex challenges arising from the spread of fake news and the pressures of perfectionism. "Six Hats" is a well-known and popular word and association game. The aim of the game is to use creativity and associative thinking to correctly connect terms or words with a hat that carries a certain description. This game encourages creativity, quick thinking, and the ability to connect associations. It is also great for socializing and laughter among participants.
The game is a variation of the famous "Six Thinking Hats" game developed by Edward de Bono. This variation uses hats of different colors to facilitate different types of thinking. Each hat color represents a certain way of thinking or approach to a problem. Here are the common hat colors and their meanings:
White hat (neutral): Focusing on information, facts, and data.
Red hat (emotional): Expressing emotions, intuition, and feelings.
Yellow hat (positive): Thinking about positive aspects and benefits.
Black hat (critical): Thinking about dangers, obstacles, and negative aspects.
Green hat (creative): Generating new ideas, creativity, and alternative approaches.
Blue hat (process management): Thinking about the thinking process itself, organization, and planning.
In this game, participants use different colored hats to structure their thinking and approach a problem from different perspectives. This technique helps groups better understand a situation, identify different factors, and make informed decisions. Each participant, depending on the color of the hat they wear, approaches the problem in a certain way, contributing to the richness of ideas and diversity of solutions.
"6 Hats" is a game designed to stimulate creativity and thinking outside the box. During the game, students expressed themselves through jokes, fictional stories, and unconventional ideas. However, the situation became complex when some of these words were taken out of context, creating stories that were prone to misinterpretation. Additionally, it was observed that children often feel pressured to present themselves in the best light, to fit into the virtual standards imposed by society on social networks. In the race for perfection, young people sometimes follow ideas that are not true or realistic, creating unrealistic expectations and unwanted consequences.
This situation prompted the school staff to take steps towards additional education of students about the importance of verifying information before sharing it. Workshops on media literacy and social media pressures were organized through project activities of the GLOBE project to provide young people with tools for critical thinking and recognizing misinformation.
The "6 Hats" game in high school served as an unintended reminder of the deeper issues young people face in the digital world. To counter these challenges, collaboration between school institutions, parents, and students themselves is essential. Education on media literacy and promoting realistic standards on social networks are key steps towards creating a safer and more responsible online environment for younger generations.