Playing different types of video games including shooter games can go a long way in boosting the learning and social skills of children as well as adults. They also have certain health benefits and this has been reported through several research activities carried out by American Psychologists. There are many parents who are of the view that playing video games can have negative effects on their children. These negative effects include depression, aggressions and addiction. These are points that should not be ignored but at the same time it is equally important to consider the fact that playing video games can be beneficial. Some of the most important benefits of playing video games are as under:
- While it is highly maintained that playing different types of video games can be intellectually lazy, there are games that can strengthen a series of cognitive skills like spatial navigation, memory, perception and reasoning. This has been proved through various studies carried out on this subject. This goes especially true in regards to shooter video games that tend to be a bit violent. People who are fond of playing shooter games possess an improved capability of thinking about things in three dimensions. This comes with critical implications for career development and education. This type of enhanced thinking is not found in people who are fond of role-playing games and puzzles.
- Children and adults who play video games also develop the much required problem-solving skills. Playing strategic games help in improving school grades and problem solving among children. There is also a subsequent modification identified in the creative skills of children who play video games.
- Video games tend to be therapeutic for the children who suffer from chronic illnesses. There are positive effects of video gaming on children diagnosed with depression, Parkinson’s disease and autism. You might be able to identify the signs of good and quick improvement in empowerment, fighting spirit and resilience among children playing video games. Video games have the ability of acting on the neuronal mechanisms within the body. These mechanisms do the job of activating positive emotions among people. Kids gain this strong ability of facing the challenges of their everyday lives by playing various types of video games.
- Playing video games can help in bringing about a reduction in depression and stress. It has been found by the study carried out by Annual Review of Cybertherapy and Telemedicine that the gamers suffering from different mental health problems like depression and stress gain the ability of venting their aggression and frustration by playing video games.
- Video games can also provide good relief from pain. Video games are not just good at relieving emotional pain but even physical pain. The psychologists at University of Washington have come up with a video game that aids the hospital patients who tend to suff er from physical pain. Video games help in warding off the physical and emotional pain of a human being by making use of the mental trick called distraction.
- Video games are helpful in improving vision. People who suffer from cataracts can easily improvise their vision by indulging themselves into playing shooter games such as Call of Duty and Medal of Honor. These are fast-paced games that require good attention and they are very good at training visually impaired people in viewing different things sharply. These games can also help in the production of higher levels of adrenaline and dopamine that can help in improving the workability of the brain.
- You can even improve your decision-making capabilities by playing video games. There are many video games that require split-second decisions and fast reactions and this is the reason why video games can be instrumental in improving the decision-making skills of an individual.
