Healthcare Technology Featured Article

June 14, 2021

5 Scientific Benefits of Playing Video Games




Since the rise of home video games, players have experienced a variety of ambitious, complex, and challenging games. Today’s video games are lightyears away from the ones people played in the 1970s and 1980s at arcades and later home. Now, there is mounting evidence that video games provide benefits to players that go beyond simple entertainment.

Gaming can be fun, but it could help players develop to achieve a great future career or even improve health. Modern online gamers are spoiled for choice. Gamers looking for a new playing experiencing can play the best free slots and win cash.

1. Memory capacity

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine found that playing video games can increase memory capacity. In 2015, the researchers recruited 69 individuals for a study in which one-third played Super Mario 3D World for two weeks, one-third played Angry Birds, and one-third of the group played no video games. The study found that the group that played Mario did better on memory tasks after playing. The other participants showed no increase in memory post-gaming. It is believed the 3D virtual environment played a major role in the building of memory capacity.

2. Pain reliever

In 2012, the American Journal of Preventive Medicine published a literature review on video games’ ability to relieve pain in players. The review found that in 38 studies, video game playing increased the health outcomes of 195 patients. The benefits were experienced by patients suffering from both psychological and physical ailments.

3. Improved vision

Many gamers are told not to sit too close to the TV. However, sitting close to the TV could be a good thing. Research is showing positive signs that moderate gaming could improve vision and not actually strain the eyes. Studies are already showing that gamers with lazy eyes improve their affected eye while different shades of colors can be discerned by gamers compared to non-video game players.

4. Players may become better leaders

Some video games encourage and reward players for their leadership. Role playing games are one type of game that can reward gamers for leading rather than following. Research has shown that players may display leadership traits and motivations in real-world environments thanks to playing video games. Players may also be able to adapt to real-world challenges more easily due to improvising during game play.

5. Video games could hold back the hands of time

Playing video games may make an individual feel young, but gaming may also prevent them from ageing. Problem-solving games, also known as brain games, force the player to think and solve puzzle components. Brain games can improve the memory and have positive effects on older people. A study found that 10 hours of brain game playing produced an increase in cognitive functioning to players 50-years-old or older. The improvements reportedly lasted for years. Video games have been shown to affect the parts of the brain responsible for memory formation, spatial orientation, strategic planning, and fine motor skills. Specific regions of the brain can be trained by playing video games.



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