Why Video Games Are Actually Good For You – According To Science
In the last decade, electronic gaming industry made a huge boom and became number one profitable entertainment business, exceeding movies and music. Considering that it is a new type of entertainment, it is sometimes hard to believe, especially if you are a member of the older population. Not to mention scepticism or negativity that is harboured towards games and consoles. There are very few members of older generations that will not say how games are running youth, their vision or making them aggressive and/or antisocial. However, truth isn’t so one sided. Before you go to GreatGames.me, here are five scientific reasons why you should play games.
1. They Are Not (Generally) Bad For Kids!
In a recent study published in the journal Pediatrics, it was proven that like any other activity, gaming can be both beneficial and harmful. Of course, balance is the key. Children that played up to one hour a day were better adjusted, had fewer conduct problems and were more likely to care about others, compared to children that did not play at all. However, those positive effects disappeared if kids played more than an hour a day, and if they played excessively (more than three hours) they had problems with hyperactivity and inattention and also showed a lack of empathy.
2. Too Old For Gaming? Never!
There are a lot of older people that are judging electronic games, but at the same time they have not played even once. However, you may change your grandma’s mind if you tell her about the research of University of Iowa. In their study of 681 healthy individuals ages 50 and older, they revealed that playing 10 hours of a specially designed video games, was able to stall the natural decline of different cognitive skills by up to seven years. Their mental processing showed about 70% of improvement. Wanna stay sharp in old days? Play games!
3. Games Grow Your Brain. Literally.
We’ve already established that gaming is beneficial for for all kinds of physical aspects and mental skills, but did you know that that gaming can bulk up your brain? Study from Max Planck Institute for Human Development found that at least 30 minutes of gaming a day for a period of two months triggered significant grey matter increases in three areas of the brain that are associated with functions such as spatial navigation, memory formation, strategic planning, as well as fine motor skills of the hands. Brain volume was then measured via MRI and compared to a control group. The gaming group showed volume increases but, perhaps most interestingly, these changes were more prominent in the participants who expressed the most desire to play the game.
4. Evil Games Makes Good Humans
Well, no matter how weird this subtitle sounds, we’re sure that not once you have heard that games make people violent and/or aggressive. While that may be the case with those who overindulge in them (go back to reason number one) recent study published in journal Cyberpsychology, Behavior and Social Networking suggested that contrary to the popular belief, playing violent video games may actually lead to increased moral sensitivity, rather than leading players to become less moral. The main factor was guilt and this may, as it does in real life, provoke players to engage in voluntary behaviour that benefits others.
5. They Are Doctor’s Assistants
Gaming doesn’t help only normal and healthy people to get in better shape. They help to those that suffered from wide range of illnesses. Study from Italy presented evidence that playing fast-paced video games improves reading skills with children with dyslexia. New Zealand research developed new way of treating depression with video game SPARX. 44% of players reported that they recovered completely from depression. Debbie Rand from Tel Aviv University showed a significant improvement with patients that suffered stroke. in 2010, American Pain Society’s annual scientific meeting reported that virtual reality is proving to be effective in reducing anxiety and acute pain caused by painful medical procedures and could be useful for treating chronic pain. There many more, but to list them here, we would need a half of internet.
No matter if you are professional gamer or you’ve never even tried to play, electronic games are awesome and beneficial. If this list hasn’t convinced you to go to Greatgames.me, we’re not sure what can.
