Nowadays, there are many debates about the benefits and harms of gaming. Many people think that playing video games has a big impact on the development of children as well as adults. Others reckon that that games are an entertainment tool that brings several advantages in life if we know how to use them correctly.
To all those shaking their heads at this prospect, here are some reasons why everyone should play video games.
Players can process information more easily. They develop adaptive skills and as a result, these individuals respond to unexpectedly difficult situations.
Online games help people get to know each other and find new friends with similar interests! And there are many more. Let me give you some pieces of information.
1. Studies To Resolve The Question
Vikranth Bejjanki – US National Academy of Sciences – and colleagues pointed out in a study that gamers playing shooting games have improved abilities to identify, pay attention and focus quite profoundly.
Researchers scanned MRI to study the brains of 27 professional and 30 amateur players. They focused on the study of the cerebral cortex, the sensory and emotional management area and the center for linking brain regions. Results showed that action game experts have better brain connectivity and increased brain output.
This may be due to a combination of attention and sensory functions when playing action games. They have about 150 sensor responses within a minute using both a keyboard and a mouse. Research participants are gamers who have played for at least 6 years and have competed in national and international championship games.
2. Why Video Games Are Good For You
Whether playing games is good or bad is a hot topic that many people have been debating for over 30 years, it is similar to rock and roll music, television, and novels with controversial ideas that receive similar criticisms in their time.
Playing games have many negative consequences such as addiction, increased aggression and health problems (obesity and repeated stress seem to cost more media attention than good aspects). Studies of gaming addiction are also getting more attention than research on the social benefits of playing online role-playing games.
On the other hand, currently, there are a lot of studies that show the useful of gaming. Gaming can be used as an educational method, many findings suggest that gaming can speed up one’s reaction time, coherence, and hands to eye coordination.
Games can also be entertaining any age, gender, ethnicity or educational level, from simple game to complicated, strategy-based game like Anno 1404. They can be used to create goals and practice towards those aims, improve your abilities and keep track of your own changes.
For example, it has been seen that a gamers’ vision can be improved as the rotation and control of 2 and 3-dimensional objects grow better when playing games.
Furthermore, there is a study conducted by Vikranth Bejjanki (US National Academy of Sciences) and colleagues that proved other advantages of playing games. In this study, the author said that gamers in shooting games have grow their abilities to identify and focus on a subject quite clearly.
In a series of experiences with a small number of gamers (from 10 to 14 people), researchers said gamers who have had a lot of experience in action games performed tasks in segmentation kind of repetitive sequences better than less experienced gamers.
In another study, they trained non experienced gamers in action games and gave them 50 hours for practice. As a result, these gamers performed perception tasks better than before they practiced. The study concluded that the ability to recognize rules and structures of an environment is the main mechanism that helps action games influence the ability to perceive, pay attention, and focus.
In addition, there are many other features of the games that make the matter discussed here more palpable.
For example, on the subject of education, games can be fun and interesting, it means that players will increase the ability to stay focused on a target for a long time. Because the games are really interesting, they might be a better method of learning than other traditional methods.
The principle of operation of the game provides continuous knowledge, allowing each individual to experience and constantly learn about many different fields. They also have the opportunity to develop other skills or practice with extremely difficult challenges and activities, such as using a flight, a simulator or conducting a virtual campaign.
3. How Video Games Affect Your Brain
Video game players have an increased gray matter in the brain areas that governs the movement of the body. This structural change has enabled gamers to perform simple movements without resorting to brain-focusing efforts.
Researchers also believe that the benefits of playing video games can be very useful for interventions in the treatment of mental disorders such as schizophrenia and post-traumatic stress disorder or neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s.
Because gaming always brings maximum interaction, it can be used as a therapy. For example, they can be used as psychological treatments. Many studies show that when children play games, they need less pain-relief measures than others.
The game has an extremely high educational capacity besides entertainment value. Games that are designed to solve special problems or teach us special skills have all been quite successful, because they provide stimulation, interaction, and a reward system as well as goals for players to constantly improve themselves.
