The gaming industry is seeing a revolution never seen before, and more and more people are spending their time playing video games than ever before. And while greatly entertaining, video games are not a complete waste of time and can actually avail valuable benefits.
Mental health benefits of video games
So how can one benefit from playing PUBG or Subway Runner? The fact is that video games are already being used as a part of therapies. They provide valuable benefits like cognitive rehabilitation, anxiety management, stress relief, phobia desensitization, and even as adjuncts to traditional therapy approaches.
Here, some of the chief positive benefits are discussed:
1. Stress relief
Playing video games is no longer something that is only associated with children. These engaging games interest both children and adults alike and for good reasons. They can be a welcome escape from a stress-filled life, whether the stress or anxiety may be brought about by education, work, or any other reason.
2. Cognitive stimulation and skill development
Video games not only give an escape to the mind, but they also challenge it in multiple ways. They can force it into new directions bringing cognitive stimulation and developing skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, innovative thinking, strategic planning, and thinking on one’s feet. They can help develop memory, the ability to reason, including logical and spatial reasoning, and attention to detail.
3. Improving hand-eye coordination
Video games are known to improve hand-eye coordination by better rewarding dexterity. Such coordination can often translate into better hand-eye activities like driving or typing.
4. Social interaction
Several video games involve multiple players and can avail ready opportunities to players for interacting with each and event coordination as trams. Not only can one play such games with friends and foster a closer relationship, but one can also develop special friendships. It is already an important way for many loners to find friends and social interactions, and sometimes the only way one feels that one belongs somewhere.
5. Emotional regulation
Several video games provide opportunities to players, whether through social interaction, through bringing together peers with the same mindset, or through virtual stimulation, a safe place for expressing their emotions, whether it be joy, fear, or sadness. By providing w catharsis for such emotions, they help create a better emotional balance in players.
Some video games offer emotional outlets and catharsis. They can provide a safe space to express and process emotions, allowing players to experience a range of feelings, including excitement, joy, fear, and sadness. This emotional engagement can contribute to emotional well-being and self-expression.
6. Positive reinforcement and achievement
Video games also help one get a sense of achievement when one does well in a game. The games give several types of rewards, including in-game rewards and sometimes monetary rewards. Getting such rewards can help boost one’s self-esteem and encourage one to overcome challenges in one’s daily life as well.
Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.s)
There are several questions relating to video games and their impact on minds. The following are some of the most Frequently Asked Questions (F.A.Q.s) :
Question: Are there any bad mental health effects of video games?
Answer: While video games offer several valuable mental health benefits. They are not without harmful effects like:
- They encourage a sedentary lifestyle involving long hours of sitting and discouraging physical activity and exercise. Such a lifestyle lacking cardiovascular exercise can result in both mental and physical health problems.
- Long hours playing video games is also known to affect sleeping patterns.
- They strain the eyes and affect vision as one looks at digital screens for longer hours.
- They can be addictive and make one develop a dependency on them. Players may start ignoring more important real-life activities and responsibilities when playing them.
- Video games can often lead to a bad company that can further make one adopt bad habits.
Question: What are some ways to get the most benefits of video games and reduce their harmful effects?
Answer: The following tips can prove helpful in this regard:
- Play with moderation with a precise time limit. One should only play no more than one or two hours a day.
- One should try to play different video games instead of only playing one daily.
- Video games should not be considered alternatives to physical sports and exercises, and the last should be prioritized.
- The games played by children should be moderated by adults. Parental controls are now available on all digital devices to help one do so.
App timers can be used to ensure that one doesn’t spend too much time playing a video game.
If the reader has any other questions, they should feel free to ask them here.
The Bottom Line
One can easily wrap up the above discussion by concluding that Individual experiences with video games and their benefits can often vary from person to person, but one can maximize benefits and lower disadvantages using the above-mentioned tips.