Video games are a popular pastime, but they can also be a source of stress and a coping mechanism for depression. It’s important to know the effects that gaming can have on your brain and how it affects your health so you can make an informed decision about whether or not to play.
Positive Effects of Gaming
Gaming can have a number of positive effects on the body and mind, including improving hand-eye coordination and helping to improve attention span. It can also help to enhance problem-solving skills and logical thinking, which are all beneficial for everyday life.
Many gaming genres offer opportunities for social interaction with other players. Especially in MMOs (massively multiplayer online role playing games), this can create strong friendships and emotional bonds.
In addition, gaming provides a sense of control and is often a form of self-expression. As Kurt described it, gaming allows you to feel like “you’re the character and that you can make different choices.”
It helps to de-stress and unwind after work
Gamers report that they use games as a means of de-stressing after a stressful day at school or work and to help them to unwind when they are tired from other activities. They also believe that gaming can be more relaxing than other hobbies and that it requires less effort than other activities.
It can boost the memory
One study found that people who regularly play video games have enhanced memory capabilities than those who don’t. This is because gaming can stimulate areas of the brain that are responsible for memory.
It can enhance your skills
In many gaming genres, gamers have the ability to learn new strategies and tactics to get better at their game. This can be beneficial for their daily lives as well, as it can help them to achieve goals more quickly and easily in their real-life careers or jobs.
It can improve your memory
In a study by the University of California, researchers discovered that people who played games for at least two hours a day were able to remember more information than those who didn’t play games. This is because the brain’s memory centers are activated when players play games and are then able to use this knowledge to solve problems in their daily lives.
It can improve your skills
In some games, you may need to perform several tasks at once, such as looking at the screen, keeping track of your ammo and health, or speaking with other players in a video game. These games can be a great way to improve your skills at multi-tasking and allow you to learn new strategies.
It can improve your skills
As a result of using gaming to ward off negative feelings, participants in our study felt that they were not improving their problems and that they had wasted time. They also believed that they had wasted their money on gaming and that they should have spent it on other things such as learning more about the concepts they were struggling to understand in class.