I have been a video gamer for a little over thirty years. In all that time I have heard much older and wiser generations say that they are bad and they will never get you anywhere in life. So I’m sure I’m not the only person that has heard the complaints of parents. So what are the benefits of video games? What can we get out of them to insert into life?
Growing Up
When I grew up I started out with a basic Nintendo. I remember running around with Mario and Luigi jumping over pipes and holes, dodging plants, and fireballs. Little did I know, at that time, that I would still enjoy those basic concepts thirty years later.
Video games have advanced with technology over time. They have advanced so much that we have gone from playing 8-bit models to graphics that are life-like. In current times, fast paced shooters seem to be where the generation has turned to for their visual entertainment.
While playing these shooters, studies confirm that these players have improved performance in attention, perception, and cognition.
The Experiments
During a set of experiments, a few gamers with previous experience of playing action games were better at perceptual tasks, such as finding patterns, than gamers with little or less experience.
In other sessions, students with no experience were given fifty hours of practice. These students performed better on perceptual things than before they had their training.
Video games have the ability to be fun and stimulating, in turn, it makes it easier to have a person’s undivided attention for longer sessions. They can also have a more appealing method of learning than with the casual methods for other people.
The Appeal
This form of entertainment has the appeal of many ethnicities, genders, and ages. Video games can be used to set goals and take movement towards those goals. The way games allow you to interact stimulates learning and allows people to experience novelty. They also let you form transferable skills and practice different or challenging activities, such as simulators or simulated functions.
It has also been shown that children who play video games, following chemotherapy, require less medical pain relievers because they are so therapeutic.
Although they are mostly entertainment, they have a great educational potential value. Games usually are designed to address certain situations, problem-solving, or teaching a skill set (which shows great success). The ability to transfer the skills you gain during game-playing is an important factor.
From a scientific literature point of view, the negative consequences of this form of entertainment involve people that play excessively, but there is little to no evidence of major adverse effects on health from moderate play.
Helping to Overcome Dyslexia
Attention seems to be one of the major difficulties of dyslexia. During sessions of gameplay, dyslexics improved reading comprehension. Games have environments that constantly change and for the most part, require an intense amount of focus.
Helping Your Vision
Scientists have discovered that games in moderation have the ability to improve and not cause harm to your vision. In a recent study, ten weeks of moderated play was associated with a heightened ability to discern different shades of gray. Another study had students play games using only their “lazy” eye, and the “normal” one covered. These same players showed increased and sometimes a normal improvement in the tested eye.
The Future
Video games are no doubt part of the future whether you choose to embrace them or not. We have all heard the cons of this entertainment, but it can’t be denied that it has a few pros as well.
Copyright: Dream Humanity
