You might not think that sitting in front of a screen for hours on end could be good for you, but research has shown that there are actually many health benefits gaming. From improving your vision to reducing stress, there are plenty of reasons to pick up a controller and start playing. Gaming has gone from a niche audience in previous years into a more widespread field including games such as FIFA, Call of Duty, Diablo, World of Warcraft, League of Legends, and lets not forget the massive mobile market. Many mainstream news outlets in the past falsely reported that gaming leads to violence. Remarkably there is zero evidence supporting the fact that video games cause excess violence among gamers. Imagine the same concept, but applied to movies like the Godfather. Weird thing about it is that the mainstream media isn’t telling the public that watching the Godfather is going to turn you into a homicidal, coke addicted, mafia member. The reality of the situation is that:
- 74% of households report having an individual who plays video games
- 76% of 18 year old Americans play video games
- 67% of adult Americans play video games
As we can see with the statistics above there is a large majority who now plays video games. Some reasons for this include the fact that accessibility for video games is more widespread. In the past gaming was mostly done with expensive computers or expensive consoles. Now the entire world has gaming or games at their fingertips. Using smartphones, people can literally play games on the subway, at meetings, and even walking to their destination like Pokemon Go. As computers, smartphones, and the internet has been a fairly recent stride in human society we can see increased growth in the gaming market. Not only are the components of a personal computer more accessible, but the knowledge of building custom PC’s has become popular. There are even many companies out there who market and sell their own custom PC’s including ibuypower, originpc, and starforgesystems. Time to see how gaming can actually make our lives better and how we can improve some of our skills simply by gaming.
1. Gaming May Improve Your Vision
It might sound counterintuitive, but playing video games can actually improve your vision. A study from the University of Rochester found that action games like Call of Duty can increase players’ Contrast Sensitivity Function (CSF), which is our ability to see objects against a background. This is the same skill that pilots and police officers use to spot targets in low-contrast situations, so it’s definitely a valuable asset to have.
2. May Reduce Stress
We all know how frustrating it can be to get stuck on a tough level or die right before the end boss battle. However, studies have shown that playing video games can actually help reduce stress levels. One study had participants play Tetris for three minutes and then complete a stressful task like public speaking. The results showed that those who played Tetris had lower levels of the stress hormone cortisol afterwards. So next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, try taking a break to play your favorite game and you just might find yourself feeling more relaxed afterwards.
3. Improve Your Memory With Gaming
If you’ve ever wondered how those speedrunners are able to beat NES games in under an hour, it might have something to do with the fact that video games can improve your memory. A study from the University of Illinois found that young adults who played Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes per day over two months improved their spatial memory, which is our ability to remember where things are in relation to other objects. That means if you want to get better at remembering where you left your keys, you might want to consider spending some extra time in Hyrule!
Conclusion
As it turns out, there are plenty of benefits to playing video games – so next time someone tells you to put down the controller and go outside, you can tell them that you’re actually improving your health!