Why you should play more, not less, video games

Don’t want to even think about how many hours you have spent playing your currently addicted game in the last week? Some people are down on others who ‘waste’ their time playing games. People worry about addiction and while any form of extreme addiction is far from ideal, gaming has many positive benefits.

Switch off the TV and switch on your console

People do different things to unwind and watching television is probably one of the easiest and most popular ways to wind down after a day of work or study. There are a lot of mind numbing shows that are completely enjoyable but as a viewer you are still passive. Games are also a good way to pass (lots) of time but it’s nowhere near as passive.

Game night anyone?

Games often promote team work, socializing and can be played with friends and family. Not only are they interactive but some games are physical (counts as exercise right?). Some games have wide appeal and family members from different generations can still get involved. 

Multitasking

Studies have also shown that action video games can improve certain brain activity, including multitasking. According to studies by Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences from the University of Rochester, gamers show improvements on tests of attention, accuracy, vision and multitasking after playing certain titles.

Show me the money

Skills acquired and honed by playing video games, as well as mobile gaming apps, will be valuable for the future workforce. Complex video games can teach skills such as strategic thinking , improves language & math ability, problem solving and adapting to rapid change. Many work places including major corporations use interactive software and games for training purposes. 

Gaming teaches you how to lose

In life you can’t win all the time, this is certainly the case in games as well. Each time you lose you can evaluate where you went wrong, discover how your opponent managed to beat you and either learn new strategies or apply different tactics next time you play. Victory is so much sweeter when the game is won fairly and without cheating.

Game on.