Video games have a bad reputation for some people. They’re often perceived as addictive, time-wasters, and inducing violent behavior in kids. However, the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Sure, just like any other thing, video games can be abused and exploited as escape mechanisms for individuals with underlying problems. That doesn’t mean that games are the source of such issues.
Healthy gaming has numerous physical and psychological benefits. The brain processes various stimuli generated by video games and learns from them. That’s why pilots and surgeons practice their craft through digital simulations. You can create realistic situations that would be impossible or very expensive to reproduce in real life. Let’s run down some of the main surprising benefits of playing video games.
1. Mental flexibility
There are numerous video game genres out there — everything from long hauling a lorry through Scandinavia’s icy roads to working as a miner on Mars. Sometimes, a title might have the most diverse tasks in a single game mission. This variety keeps the mind fresh and adaptable; switching between many fields of interest teaches mental flexibility, which benefits the individual in real life. In short, playing different types of video games makes up for a “cosmopolitan” brain.
2. Reduced stress
Anxiety and stress are the root cause of many health problems. Kids today have their fair share of problems through academic stress, teenage angsts, and societal expectations. They’re going to find ways to steam off some of that pressure, anyway. It’s better to find constructive ways of doing so rather than drugs or other vices. Nobody’s saying that videogames should be an exclusive form of stress relief. Still, it’s a valuable component in the broader picture.
3. Reaction time
Few things train fast reflexes than video games and sports. They also add for better hand-eye coordination. Specific types of games, such as first-person shooters (FPS), are excellent in doing so. There’s nothing more incentivizing in developing fast reactions than hoards of zombies coming towards you!
Considering that most games are violent, let’s get the stereotypical question out of the way. No, playing violent video games won’t turn kids into criminals later on, as stigma from past decades claims.
4. Multitasking abilities
As briefly described before, video games have numerous tasks, missions, and objectives. Many of which are set contemporaneously. For instance, a player might have to drive a fast sports car through tight streets while keeping an eye on the map and search for a person with specific characteristics. Maybe the mission requires that you complete it in a tight time frame while not damaging the car.
5. Spatial memory
Orientation and spatial awareness are fundamental skills in most video games. Getting around an imaginary sci-fi metropolis or medieval villages are simple things for kids today. Some adults have difficulties in getting around town while video gamers travel through multiple dimensions. Titles today are so innovative, they’ll exploit new physicalities in search of a new challenge. So much that similar simulations have become the norm for astronauts, firefighters, and many others.
6. Visual-auditory awareness
Undoubtedly, noises play a massive role in modern titles. Surround systems gave way to a whole new play world involving sounds with pinpoint accuracy. Players today can hear foliage, wood cracks, and wind direction when walking through fictive forests. More so, they can trace delicate light rays through the dust in abandoned sheds and cabins. Similar visual and auditory details train the mind to become a better and accurate machine.
7. Reading skills
Generally, kids won’t read if forced. Nonetheless, they’ll read hundreds of pages of alchemy or feudal history books on virtual shelves in a dragon-aged video game. Next thing you know, the kid’s going to be so good with words, he’ll be working at an online newspaper or scholarship essay writing service. In any case, surfing through in-game texts is involuntary learning at its finest.
8. Language learning
Narration and dialogs between characters use the most creative expressions and slang. Because of this, players add to their vocabulary and learn languages in-depth.
Young kids are the most fortunate as their brains are like sponges. By starting at an early age, children can learn languages at a native level.
9. Problem-solving
Whether solving quests or troubleshooting the installation of a mod, players learn to become auto-sufficient. Searching for tutorials, guides, and walkthroughs on the internet when stuck on a mission is a classic tactic. Figuring out various puzzles is bound to benefit the mind. They’ll find the easiest of ways for the most complex problems.
Most of them understand the general principle and apply it in school, for instance. They’ll download the GeoGebra app when having trouble in mathematics, or they’ll go on uk.bestessays.com to get inspiration for an upcoming writing exam.
10. Socialization
Face-to-face socializing is by far the best way of making friends and staying sane. But many people live in isolated areas or don’t get enough human contact for various reasons. Multiplayer games provide a valid socializing alternative for people around the world.
Video games have numerous cognitive benefits if used properly. They keep the mind sharp, help with interdisciplinary learning, and provide social comfort. Similar digital simulations serve as training tools for some of the most challenging jobs in the world. Video games have enormous potential for society — all while having fun!
Sources:
https://wealthygorilla.com/10-benefits-playing-video-games/
Justin is a blogger from Leicester, England, UK. When not teaching his little students and rooting for Leicester FC, he loves to share his thoughts and opinions about education, writing for scholarship essay writing service and uk.bestessays.com.
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