The debate over whether video games are good or bad has left many reeling over whether they or their children should continue to play.
That said, if you play responsibly, video games can actually be good for you.
Curious to know how?
Read on to find out how your gaming hobby may actually be helping your health, not hurting it, so you can keep that technology in your home without worry.
1. Slow Down the Aging Process
Everyone gets older, that’s just a fact of life. But exercising our brains should always be a priority, and it just so happens that playing video games can help.
In a study conducted by researchers at the University of Iowa, it was found that people that played 10 hours of video games over the course of five to eight weeks were able to delay the natural decline of a range of cognitive skills.
In other words, playing videos games that focus on improving the speed and quality of mental processing abilities were able to delay the overall aging process.
2. Improve Eyesight
You may have grown up thinking that staring at a TV screen all day was going to make your eyeballs fall out.
But it turns out, that’s not true.
In fact, it has been suggested that those playing fast-paced video games actually improve their eyesight. Because of the fast-paced nature of video games, your eye muscles get stronger.
In addition, playing video games help you discern between shades of grey and colors, which can help improve night vision.
3. Better Socialization
Another misconception about video games is that those playing are socially awkward and can’t socialize in the real world.
But again, this is not always the case.
Sure, some people that play video games are more introverted than others. But blaming that on video games isn’t fair.
Playing video games with your son or daughter is a great way to bond. Getting good equipment to play with is a great way to show that you are taking an interest. Buying high quality gaming headsets for the PS4, or whatever system you have, will make playing more fun and can even sometimes give you an advantage in game play.
That’s because you communicate with real live players that are either already your friends, or new people that become friends.
These socialization skills carry over into other areas of people’s lives and can help shy people come out of their shells.
4. Better Hand-Eye Coordination
Whether you play video games yourself, or your children do on their free time, you can expect to see an improvement in hand-eye coordination when playing most types of video games.
Action video games have been known to not only preserve existing hand-eye coordination abilities, but also help people learn new sensory motor skills over time.
For example, video games help people learn to pay better attention, hear more clearly, move their hands in response to brain signals quicker, and even help overall brain cognition.
5. Fitter Lifestyle
With the emergence of video consoles like the Wii, games like Wii Sports and Wii Fit have made a major impact on people’s goals to live healthier lifestyles.
Video games that encourage movement are great for people of all ages. And the truth is, not every child wants to participate in group sports, and not all adults want to hit the gym every day.
But with activity-based video games, children and adults alike can get their heart rates up and get healthy – in the comfort of their own homes.
Remember, video games are not always the enemy. As with anything in life, moderation is key.
That said, there are some compelling benefits to playing video games that everyone can agree are good.
