Many parents are concerned about the amount of time their children spend playing video games. They worry that it will keep them from doing other important tasks, or even cause long-term cognitive harm. However, recent research has shown that there are many benefits to gaming as well! Video games make you smarter by improving your cognitive abilities, boosting memory, and even keeping your brain young. Here’s what you need to know!
Comparing the process of learning and playing games
When we are children, we learn how to move, how to speak, and how to think. These actions and thoughts are mostly done unconsciously, as our brains develop naturally over time. Learning does not feel like a task because we’re simply following our natural instincts as they form.
It’s easy to see the difference between this process and that of playing games: when we play, we deliberate carefully on how to achieve particular goals, but each game has a different system and different controls, and you need to learn them before you can actually play. This deliberation has many benefits to our brains, making us smarter by upping the degree of challenge.
Health benefits from playing games
Video gameplay has been linked with preventing Alzheimer’s disease. Researchers found that people who played video games had a lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s than those who did not. This is because video games can increase your ability to plan ahead and process multiple tasks simultaneously. These skills are especially significant in aging populations, as they help to prevent cognitive decline.
Video games can also improve your memory. People who played video games had better memories than those who did not. The researchers believe that this is because video games force you to pay attention to details and remember important information in order to progress through the game.
Video games help to keep your brain young. People who played action video games had better reaction times and improved vision. This is because playing video games exercises your brain, making it work faster and more effectively.
Playing games is great for reducing stress. When you play a video game, your brain releases dopamine, which is a chemical that makes you feel happy. This can help to reduce stress levels and improve your mood. Sometimes the game makes us angry when we lose, but it helps us release toxic emotions.
It’s good for your eyes to some extent
Video games can also help keep your eyes healthy. People who play video games usually have to focus on objects at different distances, and quickly make sense of all the information their brain receives from their surroundings. This helps prevent eye diseases such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD). If you do not use the muscles around your eyes often, they can start to weaken.
So, playing video games is like a workout for your eyes! However, note that you should follow certain rules to avoid the opposite situation in which your eyes are being harmed. You need to look at the screen from a certain distance, do regular breaks, use blue-light filters, and screen brightness matching the lightness in your room.
Which games are the best for your brain?
Not all video games are created equal. Some games are better for your brain than others. Games that involve strategy, planning, and puzzle-solving are the best for your cognitive abilities. Shooter games and fast-paced action games are not as good, as they can actually be harmful to your eyesight and build up too much tension.
A great way is to play online versions of casino games such as online poker, online blackjack, and slots. The best part is that you can play these games for free! These games are known to be beneficial for your logic and strategical thinking for centuries, and their digital versions keep those advantages. They may lack the element of interpersonal skills like reading body language when bluffing by the poker table, but they are still great exercises for your brain.
Conclusion
Playing video games is actually fantastic for your brain. It can help prevent Alzheimer’s, keep your eyes healthy and boost your memory and reaction time. Not all games are the same, though; you should choose puzzle-solving and strategy games such as online poker if you want to improve your cognitive abilities. If you are not into strategy, a shooter can bring some benefits too, but not as many as you may want.
So, the next time you are wondering what to do with your spare time, consider picking up a video game! You may be surprised at the amount of cognitive benefits you can gain from gaming. Who knows – you may even become smarter!
