Some kinds of play are more individually or socially adaptive than others; thus, we must not forget that hazing, bullying, animal cruelty, gambling, risk taking, compulsions, & addictions of many kinds can have their origins in play

The centrality and origins of play: The mystery and evolution of animal play. Gordon Burghardt. Apr 6 2022. https://iai.tv/articles/the-centrality-and-origins-of-play-auid-2095

The existence of play in non-human animals is a direct challenge to old-fashioned scientific ideas. Play is dismissed as a human projection or as functional practice for adulthood that only ‘higher”  mammals are capable of. Not so, writes Gordon Burghardt, the contemporary study of play finds it across the animal kingdom from birds to spiders, and help makes sense of why, for us humans, play can be spontaneous, purposeless and fun.

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The Meaning of Play

Rather than search for the “true” or “real” meaning of play, as if it is a unitary phenomenon, the conceptual framework outlined above suggests that we look for the factors in both the environment and the organism that facilitate the performance of play. Some kinds of play are more individually or socially adaptive than others. Thus, we must not forget that hazing, bullying, animal cruelty, gambling, risk taking, compulsions, and addictions of many kinds can have their origins in play.