The Label Game
Understanding the Labels we Give People
We label people.
He’s the tall one.
She talks all the time.
He’s a bully.
She’s never had an original thought.
Sometimes we don’t even realize that we are labeling people. And, we don’t see how we treat people based on these labels.
Perhaps the girl who asked one “stupid” question in class gets labelled as always asking stupid questions and is never given another chance to redeem herself.
We live with labels. Whether right or wrong, it’s how we make sense of the world.
There is no better way to demonstrate the impact of labels than with the Label Game.
This is an activity we used to do in Girl Guides, and I have used many times since in group work at school or running workshops, or teaching Sunday school.
Who to play the label game with
This activity works best with youth aged 12 and older, or with adults. You need to have a sense of self and awareness of how we treat others. Otherwise, it all ends up being silly and the point is lost.
How to play the label game
Before the activity, figure out approximately how many people are going to be there. This activity works best in small groups of 4 to 10 people. If you have more than this, divide the class into smaller groups (no fewer than 4 people).
Make up sticky labels with a different instruction on each. (see below). If you are using multiple groups in one room, it is a good idea to make sure there are different labels in different groups. Otherwise, participants will look for the answers in the other groups.
Examples of Labels
Agree with me
Disagree with me
Ignore me
Compliment me
Criticize me
Interrupt me
Boss me around
Explain everything to me
Ask me my opinion
Put a label on the forehead of each participant. Do not let them see what it says.
Have a discussion
Create a discussion topic for the group. This could be about anything! What to take on a trip, what items you need to survive on a deserted island, where to go for a class trip – anything!
Make sure there is chart paper for someone to take notes.
How to play
As soon as the labels are all affixed, start the discussion. As the leader, explain to the group that they must treat everyone according to the instruction on the label.
Have the group pick a person to record the discussion notes.
As the leader, you may need to model how to treat each person in the group. Also, find ways to make sure that everyone participates, and therefore can feel the result of the label.
Wrap up
After 20 minutes, or when the discussion has reached its climax, or the participants are frustrated, end the discussion.
Go around the room asking people what they think their label said. Most people will have figured it out quite easily. (Hence the need for different labels on people in different groups in the same room).
Ask each person how they felt about having that label.
The real discussion
This is when the real discussion happens – when the labels come off. The conversations, especially with teenagers, are mind blowing.
We talked about how it felt to be treated consistently the same way – especially when they didn’t deserve it.
Even those who had the positive labels (agree with me, compliment me) were afraid to talk, because they felt that they had done nothing for the praise, and they felt uncomfortable and so much pressure!
The ones being criticized or ignored, just stopped talking.
It was a fascinating experience for everyone.
We talked about how labels are used in school, what we see in the classroom, and how we can avoid it.
If you are looking for a way to start some really interesting conversations especially with youth or young adults, then definitely try the label game!
If you have any questions on how to play, email info@valleyfamilyfun.ca.
