Video games have always had a negative image in society. It is often talked about with people who are seen as lazy or cannot find something better to do. There are people that I know who ask me if I still play video games. They are a fun habit for people and have surprising benefits that you never thought about. Benefits of playing video games are that it improves creativity and visual memory. They also improve response times and critical thinking. Video games do not make people obese or socially isolated.  They also do not make people violent, and they have this bad image as people get older. There are amazing benefits that can not only make it a fun hobby, but also positive benefits for health.

Research has been done by professionals about the benefits of playing video games. Many of them are related to the health of people. A study conducted by a college in Connecticut found that playing video games “improved visual sensitivity to contrast” when they played for 50 hours and over 12 weeks. This means that they were able to tell the difference between “shades of gray” when compared to the people who did not play video games. Other benefits that the study found were that it improved attention, and lowered impulsiveness, and, “improved that ability to track objects in field distractors” (Gray). Another important skill that playing video games makes better is being able to do more than one thing at once. Video games also helps the player get better at making good decisions. This is possible because when playing video games, people have to make decisions on what to do next. These decisions can change the outcome of the game. An example of this is that I have games which make me decide and this completely changed the ending of the game. Even sports games make you think of what play you want to make next in order to win.

Playing video games has also been connected to making people feel better and, “lead to a more positive well-being” (Halbrook et.al). The study also says that people who played video games felt less aggressive and overall happier compared to people who did not play video games. It shows that people are happier playing games which leads to better mental health. The study also says that playing video games can improve communication. This is because some games require teamwork in order to win.  This improves involvement with others and not isolation like some people believe. The ability to have a conversation with any person is so powerful and can really help someone make a new online friend.

As people are getting older, especially people in high school, it is important to play video games if it is something that interests you or is something that you enjoy. This is because if it is a hobby that you enjoy you will be happy doing it. Which will help with overall well-being and mental health. This also includes the benefits of response time and quick decision-making that you can get from gaming. These benefits are great tools that can be used to develop and grow. It also gives people a way to talk to another and bond with them. As well as learn teamwork and communication with people. Overall video games have helped me reduce the stress in my life. I encourage people to give video games a try if you have not played before. It can have an impact in a person’s life with a new hobby, but also improve your memory and other functions of the brain.

This blog post was written for Healthy Young NV by a High Sierra AHEC Student Ambassador.

Picture References:

https://www.rookieroad.com/esports/top-10-best-video-games-all-time-0782761/

Resources:

https://www.mountainlaurelsudbury.org/blog/archives/02-2015.html

https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1177/1745691619863807?casa_token=klho9tdEnCAAAAAA:vddWt-9Y1pqYbk60t2-pW9IOlI_NaGvINCvJu0NcQq07-VNrf5_eftHdazWMN38I9d20XbQqOiBQ