Video games can have positive effects and benefits when played in moderation.
The most notable positive effects of games include:
- Improved cognitive abilities
- Improved problem solving skills and logic.
- Hand-eye coordination is improved.
- Greater ability to multitask
- Faster and more accurate decision making
- Improved prosocial behavior
- Improved vision (attention to detail)
- More physical activity through games that promote physical activity (VR, mobile games).
- And other benefits.
Improved cognitive abilities
Video games improve some of your cognitive abilities, especially your visual-spatial skills and concentration.
Visual-spatial ability is your ability to recognize and remember objects and the relationships between those objects. This skill can be essential for everyday tasks such as driving, finding your way around town, or understanding a map or objects around you.
Spatial ability is also important in several fields of study, including math, science, engineering, meteorology, and architecture.
Improved problem solving and logic
A recent 2015 study by Australian and Chinese research groups found that gaming improves problem-solving skills and logic .
Researchers performed fMRI scans on 27 professional gamers and found that they had more gray matter and “increased connectivity between certain sub-areas of the insular cortex.” In practice, this translates into improved cognitive abilities, including better problem-solving and logic skills.
Many gamers play games that require careful planning, strategic thinking and the use of logic to achieve goals in the game, so it makes sense that they would have improved development of the areas of the brain responsible for problem solving and logic.
Improved hand-eye coordination
Another positive effect of gaming is improved hand-eye coordination. A 2014 University of Toronto study found that people who play games regularly have better sensorimotor skills than those who don’t play video games. These skills are key to faster learning and mastering tasks that require hand-eye coordination, such as riding a bike, typing or other tasks that require coordinating hand movements with eye movements.
The study involved 18 players and 18 non-players; Both groups had to perform a simple task on their screens, which consisted of hovering the mouse over green dots. At first, there seemed to be no major differences between the two groups.
However, as the test went on and became repetitive, the tests showed that gamers acted with greater speed and greater accuracy than non-gamers.
Gaming allows you to develop the ability to learn sensorimotor patterns and movements more quickly and efficiently, which can help you solve problems in the physical world.
Greater ability to multitask
Games have been proven to improve your ability to multitask. This is one of the most notable benefits of games, as it gives you the ability to perform your daily tasks better and more efficiently, as well as perform multiple tasks at the same time.
Many games force players to perform multiple tasks at the same time, especially action games. For example, you need to look at the enemy on the screen, keep track of your health, ammo, and other stats, and move your character around. You can also talk on the microphone to your teammates and friends. With all the fast action and hyperstimulation that modern games provide, gamers can improve their ability to multitask.
Faster and more accurate decision making
Researchers from the University of Rochester have found that video games can help you make faster and more accurate decisions, which may lead to better decision-making ability in real life.
The study also found that, in particular, if you play action games, you are more likely to make faster and more accurate decisions than non-gamers and even players who play slow games.
When action game players were faced with a problem, they acted 25 percent faster than slow game players and their decisions were more accurate. This skill could prove valuable in jobs where quick decision-making is critical, such as on the battlefield or in the hospital, and gamers are willing to make those decisions faster and more accurately.
Improved prosocial behavior
Although excessive gaming can make you antisocial , there are many games that promote the social aspect of gaming. Some games involve cooperating with other players and communicating with them via text or voice chat, which can improve your ability to work with others and improve social interaction, even while playing.
The social aspect of games has also gone beyond just participating in prosocial games. For example, gaming can be a popular topic of conversation among high school students. School cyber sports teams and clubs are also forming, and there is a convergence of gaming platforms and social networks such as Twitch and Discord. Although gaming is becoming increasingly social, it is important to maintain a balance of personal interaction and friendships in the physical world.
Better vision
A 2012 study by Timothy J. Wright and Daniel P. Blakely found that people who play games are able to see more detail, especially in the periphery of their vision. This is especially true for players of first-person shooter games, where extracting information from the visual periphery is crucial for detecting enemies or dangers.
This ability to see more detail with one’s vision and in the periphery of vision leads to increased performance in everyday tasks such as driving. With this in mind, it is important to give your eyes a break from screens, ideally for a few minutes every hour of use, as excessive screen time can cause irritation and eye fatigue.
Greater accuracy and faster task completion
Video games may improve the ability to perform tasks requiring precision faster and with greater accuracy. A study by James Rosser Jr. et al. al. from 2007 investigated the training of laparoscopic (abdominal) surgeons and included young surgeons who play video games to see what effect games would have on their ability to perform surgery and other medical tasks.
The study found that surgeons who had played video games in the past or recently made 37% fewer errors and performed tasks 27% faster than non-gamers . Their accuracy also improved as the amount of time they played the game increased. The study found that even with more modest play time (3 hours per week), gamers performed better than non-gamers. This study, like others we have reported on, suggests that gamers are better at tasks that require speed, accuracy, and hand-eye coordination.
Some video games promote teamwork
Video game players play many games that involve cooperation with other team members to achieve the goal of the game. Some of the most popular games include Team Fortress 2, Roblox, League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike, Rocket League and several others.
In a study conducted by Brigham Young University, teams that played video games together for 45 minutes performed 20% better than teams that participated in other forms of team building exercises.
This suggests that games can be a good way to develop rapport between team members when used as a team building exercise. The study also shows that some games can actually improve an individual’s ability to collaborate with other team members, which is a valuable skill in today’s job market.
More physical activity
Games that help you stay active can improve your physical health, especially compared to games that keep you sedentary all the time. Take VR games, for example. The vast majority of these games require you to move around or at least stand, which is already better for your health than games in which you remain seated. Gamers also find VR games more immersive and satisfying than traditional games, so it’s only a matter of time before VR games become the norm in the next few years or decades.
- Other benefits
- Besides all the major positive effects of video games, there are other effects reported by many gamers, including:
- For those who are not native English speakers, you can learn English faster with video games.
- Games require you to persevere in your task to achieve the goal of the game, which means they develop your perseverance.
- Video game players are also able to concentrate better and longer than non-game players.
- Other benefits include better pattern recognition, strategic thinking, risk-taking and management ability.
Games can provide a positive and rewarding experience if played in moderation. To experience the positive effects of video games, it is helpful to determine your motivation for playing. If you play games in moderation, for fun and relaxation, you can reap many benefits. However, if you play games too much to avoid the problems of real life, you may begin to have problems playing games, and in extreme cases, you may develop a gaming disorder. Gaming can have both negative and positive effects on your quality of life, so it is important to be aware of your gaming and keep it in balance.