Read more: Human nature: Six things we all do
Humans are not nature鈥檚 only funsters. All mammals play, as do some birds and a few other animals. But no other species pursues such a wide variety of entertainment or spends so much time enjoying themselves. The list of universals includes such diverse extracurricular pleasures as sports, music, games, joking, hospitality, hairdressing, dancing, art and tickling. What sets us apart is the fact that we play with objects and with language, says Clive Wynne at the University of Florida, Gainesville. We can also go beyond the literal. 鈥淲hat revolutionises human play is imagination,鈥� says Francis Steen at the University of California, Los Angeles.
鈥淲e鈥檙e a playful species,鈥� says primatologist Frans de Waal at Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia, and we retain our juvenile sense of fun right into adulthood. The only other primate to do that is the bonobo, perhaps as a result of its relaxed social environment. Human society is also relatively relaxed, de Waal notes, because we have moral codes and laws that promote stability. Crucially for the entertainment industry, we will also happily congregate with unrelated individuals, a situation that would leave both chimps and bonobos tearing strips off each other. Then there鈥檚 the simple matter of leisure time. In the wild, adult chimps spend around 8 hours a day foraging. Given more free time, they might play more. De Waal points out that captive apes enjoy computer games and watching TV, favouring scenes of sex and violence, but also appreciating slapstick humour.
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But is it just opportunity that allows us to indulge our playful side, or do we actually need more entertainment than other animals? Play isn鈥檛 simply for fun, notes Marc Bekoff at the University of Colorado, Boulder. He identifies four primary purposes 鈥� physical development, cognitive development (鈥渆ye/paw coordination鈥� as he calls it), social development and training for the unexpected. Playing is an evolutionary adaptation for learning, agrees Steen. Mammals are born inept but can adapt 鈥� playing helps us do that. Noting that human social and physical environments are particularly complex, he sees playing as a sort of simulator that allows us to imagine and try out different scenarios with little risk. 鈥淚n play we are most fully human,鈥� he says.
鈥淧lay is a sort of simulator that allows us to imagine and try out different scenarios with little risk鈥�
Bekoff believes social development is the most important purpose of play for humans, not least because it underpins morality. 鈥淵oung children will not become properly socialised without it,鈥� he says. For Robin Dunbar at the University of Oxford, playfulness is a mainstay of social cohesion. 鈥淧lay often involves laughter, which is a very good bonding mechanism,鈥� he says. And physical play 鈥� especially coordinated team sports 鈥� produces feel-good endorphins (). In addition, sports provide a release for competitive urges, says de Waal. 鈥淚f people watch others playing, that actually improves their own skills,鈥� adds Steen. Even entertainment for sheer pleasure has benefits. 鈥淚t鈥檚 fun, so it鈥檚 really good for mental health,鈥� says Bekoff.
