One of the common misconceptions about gaming is that it’s detrimental to the player’s health. Research conducted by the University of Oxford shows that gaming is positively correlated with mental well-being. Of course, excessive gaming can lead to adverse effects on both physical and mental health, but it certainly has its benefits, if played in moderation. From improved cognitive abilities to problem-solving and logic, kids could learn a lot from the right kind of games. Bear with us as we explore the different benefits of gaming in this article. 

Before we get to that, we’d like to highlight the importance of your internet service. Since most games are offered digitally and you have to have a subscription to access the games, make sure your internet can keep up. Moreover, AAA games nowadays have much larger file sizes than before going as high as a couple hundred gigabytes, which you can download quickly if you’re using Gig speeds offered by the likes of Cox Internet. With that said, let’s move on to the benefits of gaming. 

1. Improved cognitive abilities

Bigger titles come with a well-defined story arc with linear progress as the player keeps advancing through the different levels and missions. At each level or during a mission, players get various verbal and non-verbal cues that require attention. The gameplay is often immersive where the payer is utilizing all of their senses to overcome the challenge, which improves their cognitive abilities. 

2. Enhanced problem solving

Regardless of the genre, the games don’t fully reveal everything in advance because that would ruin the surprise. This encourages the players to figure stuff out on their own, which consequently improves their cognitive abilities.

3. Increased hand-to-eye coordination

A study from the University of Toronto shows that gamers have better hand-to-eye coordination than people who don’t play any games. For this, they made two groups, one of which consisted of gamers. Both of the groups were tasked with performing a simple task where they’d follow the dots on the screen with the mouse. The results showed that gamers outperformed non-gamers. Gamers were ahead of non-gamers in both speed and accuracy. 

4. Greater multi-tasking ability

A lot of the AAA titles come with feature-rich gameplay and a lot of depth that requires great attention to detail so the player doesn’t miss the cues. Oftentimes the players are playing in teams and coordinating with their teammates in real time on how to complete the mission.  For example, you have to trace the enemy, defend yourself, coordinate with your teammates, and keep track of your ammunition at the same time. This leads to a greater multi-tasking ability that’s transferrable to other segments of life.

5. Faster and more accurate decision-making

Quick decisions may not be needed in some types of games, but you need to react quickly in fast-paced games. Keep in mind that decision-making is an acquired trait just like knowledge. If you don’t let a person make any decisions, they’ll be unlikely to make one spontaneously if given the chance. The best way to develop this is to prompt them to make quick decisions. It doesn’t matter whether they choose right or wrong, because they can always restart the level or mission if they choose wrong. But they’ll learn how to make decisions quickly. 

6. Enhanced prosocial behaviors

Another common misconception about gamers is that they’re usually anti-social and stay holed up in their rooms playing for long hours, which is not true. Most games nowadays feature multiplayer or online modes where they can interact with other players, even the enemies, in some games. Coordination is actually encouraged because the gameplay can get challenging. 

7. Better eyesight

A study shows that gamers are able to discern more detail than non-gamers, especially in their peripheral field of vision. They have to stay sharp to prevent enemies from getting the drop on them. However, it’s a double-edged sword, and staying glued to your screen for long periods can lead to eye problems. 

8. Teamwork

Since most of the games nowadays come with an online multiplayer mode where you can either play with random strangers or your friends, teamwork is essential for the team to succeed. If the team is not coordinating well, it’ll likely end in a loss, which motivates the players to coordinate with each other better. 

9. More physical activity

This only applies to a few fitness-oriented games that are aimed at getting people out of their comfort zones and performing some physical activity. This encourages people who don’t particularly like going out for exercise or some other physical activity. A lot of these sports and fitness games are available on VR where players can enjoy multiple sports in controlled settings. 

Conclusion

To conclude, games provide various benefits that could especially help young players who are still in the developmental phase. From better hand-to-eye coordination to greater attention to detail and sharp senses, games help the players in more than one way. However, this is only true until they’re playing in moderation, as excessive gaming can lead to adverse effects on the player’s physical and mental health.

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