Gaming is unpopular for no reason; there are advantages and disadvantages to everything. Nonetheless, there are many benefits of gaming. However, due to it being so addictive, it is often looked down upon. Various studies have shown that gaming can be beneficial but an addiction is harmful.
Often, parents believe that gaming is a waste of time. However, studies have shown both negative and positive effects of video games. If you carefully go through them you realise that gaming isn’t harmful, being addicted and spending all day gaming could be.
While gaming is often criticised for various things such as causing aggression and wasting time, various benefits of gaming often go unrecognised.
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Benefits of Gaming
There are many positive effects of video games, some of them are:
Enables Critical Thinking
Gaming requires planning strategy, making decisions and facing the consequences. All of these are a part of critical thinking. When you are in a game, you make decisions and take different approaches to get the desired outcome.
In certain games such as Call Of Duty, Pubg, Free Fire, etc. there are various unfamiliar situations players may face during the gameplay, this allows them to adapt their critical thinking skills in different situations. We often use these skills in real-life situations and gaming can help enhance these skills.
Enhances Creativity
One of the many benefits of gaming is that it helps to enhance creativity. Games such as Minecraft allow players to build things out of imagination, it helps them to turn their vision into reality which in turn provides them with a sense of accomplishment.
If you observe, you will understand that in gameplay we collect tools and resources that we use to build things. This also applies to the real world in which we work with collected resources to build something.
Encourages Teamwork
Gaming helps to enhance social interactions. Many multiplayer games can be played with 2 or more friends. When friends work together as a team to accomplish a shared goal, it enhances teamwork skills which is an essential skill.
Teamwork promotes working together and using every player’s respective skills to win.
Oftentimes, users match with other random players who work together as a team. This allows a player to collaborate alongside people they do not know and provides them the opportunity to work with various people.
Enhances Visual Memory
While playing video games for long durations can strain your eyes, it can also help to enhance visual memory.
While playing video games, a player notices different patterns, characters, and objects and they repeatedly notice these elements.
Even if you play puzzle games, your mind keeps an eye out for clues and looking for familiar patterns that players have interacted with. This increases the visual memory of a player.
Improves Strategy Planning
Most games such as Clash of Clans, Pubg, Fifa, GTA and require strategic planning. Playing such games often requires players to think tactfully and make strategies in order to win.
Gaming also requires trial and error methods which require players to analyse their techniques and approaches.
We can use these skills in our day-to-day life when we work, and plan things. Moreover, it is also a useful skill people use.
Improves Focus
Contrary to the popular belief that playing video games reduces focus and causes a lack of attention span, it is quite the opposite. The reason people believe it reduces attention span is because of the simulation and changing graphics but on the other hand, studies show that it can also help to improve focus.
Many games such as racing simulations require one to be attentive at all times or even require multitasking which requires focus and attention. Nevertheless, it varies from game to game and person to person.
Increases Quick Response
While playing games, we need to have a quick reaction at times to win and to respond quickly one needs to be focused and attentive.
Several games require players to be attentive and quick in responding, for example in shooting games such as Call Of Duty, Pubg, Valorant etc when enemies are attacking you, you must be quick to respond. Additionally, it also increases hand and eye coordination. It helps you train your reflexes.
Helps In Critical Thinking & Problem Solving
Many games such as strategic games require people to think and analyse different strategies. This also increases critical thinking abilities and helps develop problem-solving skills.
Games such as Fifa require problem-solving under pressure. Moreover, it also sets an example to not give up when you fail.
For instance – If you are stuck at a certain level and find it difficult to solve it, you may use in-game hints but eventually, you work towards solving the problem and don’t give up. This sets a healthy example and one can implement this in real life as well.
Provides Stress Relief
One of the benefits of gaming is that it is a great stress reliever. It provides a source of entertainment and distraction that allows you to enjoy playing.
Moreover, studies have shown that the sense of accomplishment when you win a game releases endorphins in the brain which helps to enhance your mood. Gaming is a great way to take a break and destress.
Also read: Do Video Games Reduce Stress? The Science Explained.
Enhances Perseverance
Gamers either win or lose. In a game when a player loses, they don’t give up rather they try again. This teaches them to persevere, despite failing and keep on trying again.
This creates a positive and healthy mindset and teaches one that it’s okay to fail sometimes as long as you keep trying and work hard.
Anshuman