Whenever someone finds out you study, play video games and even participate in esports betting, the first question is,” so are video games good for your health? This question is flawed; it assumes there’s a singular answer to how games affect people.
As with anything humans create or consume, the effects are unique and complicated. Here are some ways that gaming can be good for your health.
Video games can improve your attention
Video games are great for helping you develop your attention skills. Video games can help you increase focus and attention span and learn to multitask.
In addition, video games can improve your memory because of how they are structured. For example, when you’re playing a game that requires memorization, it’s important to remember where everything is located on the map.
Remembering will help you know where the next item or goal will appear and avoid being attacked or killed by enemies or losing track of where you’re going.
This type of thinking trains your mind to function more efficiently when solving problems in real-life situations. It forces players to think about what is happening now and how things might change based on previous events, which may have future consequences.
Games help you make faster decisions
Video games can also help you make faster, better decisions. Adapting quickly to changing circumstances is an essential part of any job. Games teach this skill by requiring players to make decisions on the fly and learn from their mistakes.
Researchers in a study [published in the journal Psychological Science] found that gamers were better at making decisions than non-gamers. They performed worse when they had unlimited time but performed better when given arbitrary deadlines of 15 seconds or less.
Games can improve your health
Video games can help you relax, sleep better, and manage stress. They can also help you manage pain, lose weight and keep it off, eat healthier food choices and spend your money wisely. Let’s take a closer look at these topics in more detail.
Relaxation: Playing video games is a great way to unwind after a long day at work or school. It lets you down your guard and enjoy yourself for a while without worrying about anything else.
Sleep quality: The average adult needs between 7-9 hours of sleep each night to function properly throughout the day. Have trouble sleeping? Playing video games before bed could be just what you need!
When you’re relaxed from playing your favorite game online or offline, you fall asleep faster than usual. Better sleep improves your overall health.
Stress relief: Stress has been linked with heart disease and other health problems like diabetes. Reducing stress levels will also improve overall health by lowering blood pressure and enhancing digestion. This means decreasing symptoms related to chronic conditions such as asthma or arthritis.
Playing video games has benefits for the elderly
For the elderly, video games offer a wide range of benefits. Video games are a perfect way to improve memory and mental flexibility. Playing these games can also reduce depression, stress, anxiety, and pain.
The social skills you gain from video games are another plus for the elderly. It helps them interact with other people with similar interests and encourages interactions between family members, creating healthy relationships.
Gaming also helps improve cognitive abilities like problem-solving skills and memory. These skills are essential for older people because they often have problems with these areas, which may be due to illness or medications.
Gamers are more literate in media consumption
According to a study by the University of California, San Diego, and Stanford, gamers are more likely than non-gamers to distinguish between news stories and advertisements. The same study also found that gamers were more likely to understand how news stories are constructed!
Gamers are considered better at multitasking and problem-solving skills. People who play action games like Call of Duty or Shooters such as Halo have been shown to have better reflexes, increased manual dexterity, and faster visual acuity.
Bottom line
Video games are a great way to improve mental and physical health. Playing action games can help with visual processing and decision-making skills, and any social aspect of gaming can benefit all ages.
So if you’re worried about spending too much time playing video games, don’t panic; it may be suitable for your health. Gaming has tons of positive effects on your health!