10 Reasons Why Gaming is Good for You

Because of the engaging visuals and elements of competition and achievement, video game enthusiasts may spend long hours playing over weeks, months, or even years. This, along with the popularity of violent elements and themes, has led to concern and negative discourse, with a focus on young minds that are easily impressionable.

All of these factors have led people to have their qualms about how video games affect the human brain and its development. Many still question if video games are good for the people who play them so much.

So, are video games good for you?

The answer is quite simple—yes, they are.

Why Are Video Games Considered Good?

According to a study published by the American Psychological Association, playing video games has four major benefits: cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social.

Cognitive Effects

Contrary to popular belief, video games don’t make players intellectually inept or lazy. Even those with violent elements, such as Grand Theft Auto (GTA), Call Of Duty (COD), and Halo, don’t reduce cognition abilities. If anything, people who play such games become faster and more accurate at attention allocation, visual processing, and mental rotation abilities.

In fact, it was concluded that the skills derived from playing shooter video games were comparable to the effects of formal high school and university-level courses aimed at enhancing these same skills.

That said, not all games have the same effect.

The most significant cognitive developments have been seen in gamers who play shooter video games, not puzzles or role-playing games. It is also speculated that 3D visuals contribute to these improvements.

Motivational Effects

The gaming community consists of people of all ages. Engaging different age groups to complete the same tasks and experience success and failure as a group or as individuals is no easy feat. Still, video game designers have somehow hit the sweet spot.

Research in developmental and educational psychology has shown that motivational styles that promote persistence and continuous effort contribute to success and achievements.

Video games are designed so players get immediate feedback, such as rewards, resources, increased experience, jump-in levels, etc. This motivates players to keep trying to succeed and take the game further.

As the game progresses, the gameplay gets even tougher, demanding more dexterity, quicker reaction times, and clever and complex solutions.

Emotional Effects

Unsurprisingly, what we consume—movies, TV shows, social media, and video games—can influence our mood. Many think of this with a negative connotation, forgetting that it can be applied in productive ways: to manage and even improve people’s feelings.

The truth is, that video games are some of the most effective ways to generate positive feelings among children and young adults. Studies have suggested that even short puzzle games like Candy Crush or Angry Birds promote relaxation, improve mood, and help players develop a sense of pride as they progress.

Note that studies on such games’ uplifting moods in the long run are inconclusive.

Social Effects

Some people think that video game enthusiasts are loners or play games because they prefer to be socially isolated. But the opposite is true—a 2022 study showed that around 56% of gamers played with friends in person or virtually, while 43% made friends with those they met while playing video games online.

Many games are designed for players to communicate with other team members, encouraging them to converse via chat or audio. Such engaging activities foster connections to the point that players can make friends and socialize even outside of their games.

In 2020, a teenager in Texas having seizures was saved by his online friend who witnessed the incident and called for help. This is just one example of many that demonstrate how video games have created social communities worldwide.

Benefits of Playing Video Games

According to research, approximately 70% of adults in the United States play video games on at least one platform. More than half of them have been encouraged or influenced to behave in a certain manner.

Gaming has many benefits in relation to cognitive, motivational, emotional, and social effects. Let’s take a look at each of them:

Improves Brain Matter

One critical positive effect of playing video games is improving grey matter, the brain’s outermost layer. It consists of billions of neurons that control movement, retain memories, and regulate emotions. This also refers to plasticity, or the brain’s ability to change as it learns, through control and rewards.

It means that you develop good habits and are more likely to complete a task by being stimulated to finish it. From there on, it works like a ladder, where you move on to newer, more complicated tasks. Simply put, your brain will adapt to perform better as you learn.

Enhances Dexterity

Video games require a lot of attention, both visual and auditory. Gamers must stay alert so they’re prepared for any curveball thrown at them. They need to react instantaneously and adapt to new variables to continue playing the game. For many players, looking down at the controller every other second to press the right buttons is not feasible.

Simply put, playing video games directly affects and impacts brain regions responsible for memory, spatial orientation, information organization, and fine motor skills. It has also been proven to help filter important information from everything and maintain attention to focus on tasks.

This is why controller-based games can be a great way to improve hand-eye coordination. In fact, it was found that surgeons who were gamers outperformed those who weren’t and made 37% fewer mistakes than them.

Furthermore, victims of strokes are encouraged to play games to regain hand and wrist control.

Teaches Players to Set-Shift

Set shifting refers to the ability to move between different tasks quickly. You maintain good cognitive flexibility if you can do this without wasting time.

This should not be confused with multitasking, which is the habit of doing different things simultaneously.

Improves Social Skills

Those who play multiplayer games must maintain constant communication to complete tasks and overcome the challenges they face. Often, one gamer cannot view what their teammates can and may have to depend on directions from them. As a result, players spend more time talking than one would imagine.

This type of collaboration is a great way to improve communication and overall social skills. Many online gaming communities are tight-knit groups that have maintained virtual friendships for years, with players spanning a wide range of ages, demographics, and geographic locations.

Video game enthusiasts apply their improved communication and social skills in real-world settings as well.

Teaches Players To Solve Problems

Many mission-based, multiplayer, and multi-level games involve complex challenges that could take hours to complete. Players have to brainstorm, change course dozens of times, and make decisions in the blink of an eye, teaching them to solve very complex problems in an instant. These well-developed skills can easily be applied to the real world.

Studies have shown that children who play strategy-based games have better problem-solving skills and grades than those who don’t play games at all.

Makes Learning Easier

Learning through games has long been effective, whether from the perspective of players or students. In fact, developers quickly realized how video games improve reading and math skills.

Modern games incorporate topics like world history, science, general knowledge, and other complex issues that make gameplay much more interesting. And, in turn, players are taught new things that may pique their interests.

Encourages Physical Fitness

In the digital age, games are no longer restrictive. Gone are the days when players were tied to their controllers and couldn’t move around to stay connected to their games. Thanks to tremendous technological advancements, tools like virtual reality (VR) have led to immersive games that require physical movement.

Aside from these fun console games, mobile apps like Pokémon Go require players to walk around to collect unique Pokémon creatures and spin PokéStops to collect in-game items. This encourages physical movement and improved fitness.

Slows Down Mental Decay

Just like being physically active helps you stay fit, playing games keeps one’s mental health in check.
Jason Allaire, an associate professor of psychology at North Carolina State University and co-director of Gains Through Gaming Lab, says, “There’s a growing body of evidence that suggests playing video games actually can improve older adults’ reflexes, processing speed, memory, attention skills, and spatial abilities.”

Aging causes our minds to gradually lose executive function, which is critical for mental acuity, memory, attention, perception, and problem-solving. Playing games encourages the use of these functions and slows down mental decay.

Improves Eyesight

In a study, six patients with low vision due to cataracts were instructed to play 40 hours of video games over a month. The results showed that five out of six patients’ eyesight improved. This is because more adrenaline and dopamine, produced during gaming, leads to increased brain activity, improving visual acuity.

Treats Depression

It has been found that video games are excellent distractions from mental and physical trauma. Playing a video game can act as a relaxant and help people deal with disorders like anxiety, depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Builds Better Relationships

Friends or even spouses who game together are said to have better relationships. This is because spending quality time benefits all types of connections. Besides that, talking to each other while gaming can improve communication.

Long-distance friends, couples, or even family members can benefit from this.

What Types of Games Are Beneficial?

So, yes, video games are helpful. However, there are many types of games that range between simple mobile app puzzles and complex VR shooter games. Each type has a different impact on players.

Let’s take a deep dive to understand how different genres of games affect the people who play them:

Puzzles and Platformers

Puzzles include games like Tetris or Candy Crush, which test your problem-solving skills and attention to detail. Though relatively simple, they still help improve brain function and slow down mental decline.

Platformers include games like Super Mario Bros. and Legends of Zelda, where players are challenged to solve puzzles and unlock items to move to the next level. These games improve motor and reaction skills.

Role-Playing Games

Role-playing games or RPGs are those in which a player assumes the role of a character, like in Mass Effect and Dungeons & Dragons. Whatever a player chooses to do will lead to consequences and guide the gameplay thereon.

Aside from cognitive function, such games enhance problem-solving, strategy, and reasoning skills. Players will also learn to empathize and develop their ethics as they make morally difficult choices in these fictional universes.

Strategy Games

These games involve meticulous planning, strategizing, and resource management. Players must quickly change tactics when needed and adapt to complex, escalating situations, much like the real world.

Playing strategy games like StarCraft, Humankind, and Crusader Kings III can help with quick decision-making. These games polish your cognitive skills while improving your memory and logical reasoning.

First-Person Shooting Games

Games like Call of Duty, Valorant, and Overwatch require a player to have exceptional hand-eye coordination. They involve a lot of shooting while being aware of the enemies’ positions. It also boosts quick thinking, spatial navigation, reasoning, memory, and perception.

Simulation Games

Games like Sim City, Farming Simulator, and Animal Crossing mimic the real world in a virtual setting. When playing such games, players must complete tasks that teach real-world skills. Such simulations also help players learn to make important decisions, manage resources, and even do complex mathematical computations.

Sports Games

These games are fast-paced, and they require your undivided attention and excellent hand-eye coordination. Sports games allow players to be physically active and improve their dexterity. They also learn more about the game to strategize and analyze data in a flash.

Sports games like FIFA and Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater are excellent for quick thinking, decision-making, and adapting.

Action Adventure

The Last of Us, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, and Assassins Creed are good examples of action-adventure games that involve quick reflexes and complex problem-solving skills.

Some games may have multiplayer features that encourage player engagement, strategic thinking, and creativity in a team setting—skills that can be used in social and professional situations.

Why Are Video Games Considered Bad?

Video games have an unfortunate reputation for promoting antisocial, violent behaviors. But this is a stereotype that has been debunked many times. Some of the most action-packed games have been critically acclaimed for their level of inclusivity, accessibility, impactful storytelling, and innovative game design.

So, are all video games bad? Absolutely not. Regardless of the genre, there are pros and cons to playing video games. It all comes down to striking a balance between work and play. Maintaining a healthy schedule could help keep video game addiction at bay.

Disadvantages of Playing Video Games

While games can help with cognitive function, coordination, decision-making, and so much more, doing anything in excess does come with some ill effects.

Here are some disadvantages of playing too much:

Aggressive Thoughts

Various studies have contradictory results, but many claim that games could have a connection with aggressive thoughts displayed in adolescents, which could contribute to criminal rates.

Meanwhile, experts like Henry Jenkins of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology refute this. He noted the decreased juvenile crime rate that coincides with the popularity of games such as Halo, Mortal Kombat, and Grand Theft Auto. According to him, players don’t experience the emotional effects of the game when they aren’t playing.

Addiction

A study suggests an hour (or less) of screen time among children aged 2 to 5 is ideal. Meanwhile, adults should limit their screen time to 1 to 2 hours outside of work. However, it has been estimated that people spend close to 11 to 12 hours on various devices.

Another study analyzed participants that violent games, like Call of Duty, for an average of 6 to 7 hours daily, raising questions about self-control, discipline, and impulsivity.

Physical Problems

Excessive gaming may lead to postural, muscular, and skeletal disorders, such as gamer’s thumb, nerve compression, and carpal tunnel syndrome. Too much gaming may also lead to repetitive stress injuries on the hands and arms, causing muscles and tendons to become inflamed.

Victims of Predatory Behavior

Players of all ages can become prey to phishing and hacking; children are much easier targets. They can be vulnerable to predators posing as children via multiplayer games. Exercising parental controls can be challenging, especially as children grow older.

How To Manage the Ill Effects of Video Game Usage in Children?

• Check the video game’s rating before you buy it for your child.
• Do not put the game console in your child’s room.
• Limit daily screen time.
• Install parental locks on the device. If that’s not reliable, closely monitor your child’s usage via device settings.
• Talk to your child and explain the good and bad effects of these games. Be upfront and honest, so they feel safe to share things with you should the need arise.

Conclusion

Regularly playing video games can lead to many benefits. But it is important to note that hand-eye coordination, decision-making, agility, communication, and more are only possible if games are played in moderation.

Doing anything in excess can lead to unhealthy habits, addiction, and severe health issues. Be a responsible adult and monitor your daily screen time. Parents should exercise caution with their children and work with them to strike a healthy balance.

Written by Dustin Tyler [Updated November 4, 2024]

Initially focused on web dev, Dustin was introduced to game design by a friend after college and was immediately attracted to the combination of technical skill and creativity required to make an awesome game.

While not a professional game developer himself, he’s utilized his web dev skills and desire to help others by creating a resource where expert game designers can share what they’ve learned with the next generation of aspiring game makers.