The US alone has a $1.2 billion video gaming industry. With faster internet connections and smartphones that are better, the esports market has thrived for the past year. Many people like to play games at home because it’s much more convenient. Just swipe, click, then start playing. That’s how simple games have become.
This has also led a rise of game developers who are willing to make more games they can profit from and monetize. The majority of games that are available online offer in-app purchasing that allows the developers to offer premium services and free games that can help them make money.
But gaming is on the rise, so it is important that people understand the potential benefits.
We will talk about how online games can make you a better person and how they can improve your brain function and overall sanity. We will use facts to support our argument. Keep reading.
Is Gaming Good for Mental Health? Let’s check the facts
- Frontiers in Psychology’s study found that video gaming can boost life satisfaction as well as mental well-being. It promotes positive emotions, enhances relationships, and helps people to accomplish difficult tasks in real world.
- Patient info found that intrinsically motivating and challenging games can help players achieve their goals. They can help relieve stress and offer a way to better express emotions.
- NCBI has stated that gaming can alleviate suffering, cope well with negativity, improve self esteem, give solitude, and address poor school performance. It has also been proven to enhance social relationships and produce other positive effects.
- BBC claims that videogames are a tool to support people during difficult times. It helps to control aggression and rage.
These are some games that promote mental health
There are many options for games, ranging from action and adventure to logic and puzzle. Each game gives us a different way to manage our daily hectic lives.
Puzzle and Logic Games
It is a known fact that logic, puzzle and word games have a direct influence on how we learn. Math improvements games like Sudoku, and logic games such a Chess may be of great benefit to those who aren’t strong in any one of these two subjects. They increase spontaneity while also improving self-esteem.
Let’s think about it this way. When you play online videogames, your brain is busy and growing. You build new connections in the brain by solving puzzles and figuring out how a particular game works. The National Institutes of Health suggests that older adults try cognitive stimulating exercises like solving crosswords and playing with cards. This is because cognitive training for seniors has many long-lasting benefits.
Action and Adventure
These games can help people find some solace or isolated areas where they can recharge. Many people who play action and adventure games are introverts, or have suffered from a disturbed childhood. Action-adventure gaming can have an impact on people’s behavior and, in many cases, help them recover from their past mistakes.
While action games have been accused of terrorism and aggression, there is not enough evidence to prove that they are dangerous. Experts have found the opposite.
Counter-Strike games like Call of Duty and PUBG allow people to think rationally about their world, which helps them decide what and when they should do certain things. These games can provide more situational knowledge than real-life situations. University of Rochester has found that gamers who are interested in action gaming can make faster decisions than gamers who prefer slower games.
Strategy & Planning
Strategy and planning games are another option that can help people plan their projects and make them more effective. Chess players who excel at it have been proven to be more able make informed decisions and take better decisions than those who don’t know all the consequences. The American Psychological Association says that strategy video gaming can improve problem solving abilities and school grades.
There are national levels for games like World of WarCraft. Stronghold Crusaders. Red Alert. Tiberius Wars. EA sports runs an annual league that awards millions of dollars to DOTA players. These games have helped many people with video gaming to not only cope with anxiety or aggression but also to earn a living.
What mental skills does this game develop?
Experts have put together a list identifying the most important areas for video games. Here are the top areas from the list.
Cognition & Mind Awareness
Understanding and being able to see the bigger picture are two of the most important skills a person can have. This is what most videogames provide. When players emerge in a new map (e.g. Counter-Strike/PUBG), they don’t realize the number of enemies that surround them. These games train them to adapt to the situations presented by these games. In most cases they don’t have the ability to adapt to the scenario presented, so they come up with their own solutions.