Since their invention, disputes about the benefits and harms of computer games do not stop. Many people believe that virtual reality is almost the main cause of mental disorders and other health problems. Of course, if you sit in front of a computer monitor most of your life, nothing good will come of this. But in moderate doses, games are useful. The same prejudices still exist towards sites that help students, such as this paper writing service, although recent surveys show that trust has recently increased.
1. Slowing down aging
Our body is changing every year, not for the better: there are health problems, weakness, reduced efficiency. As it turned out, a computer game can significantly improve the quality of life of an elderly person.
The American scientists from Iowa conducted an interesting experiment. The participants were 680 people aged 50+. In the end, it turned out that 10 hours of virtual entertainment on the PC, spread over a period of 5-8 weeks, was enough to cancel the effects of aging of the brain for the previous 2-6 years.
2. What video games are good for – speeding up the decision-making process
Sean Green, a researcher from Rochester, once wanted to find out if computer games affect a person’s decision-making ability.
The experiment involved two groups of young people who were not fans of this type of entertainment. The first half of the subjects played 50 hours of 1st person shooter. The other group engaged in strategy, a leisurely, measured game. It turned out that sharp, dynamic games increased low-level perception several times and reduced decision-making time.
3. Why games are good for you – they improve your eyesight
It is unlikely that some of the avid gamers’ parents did not say in childhood: “Do not sit in the computer, or you will go blind! In practice, it turned out to be exactly the opposite. The same University of Rochester conducted another study. This time it involved a team of experienced players specializing in games like “Call of Duty .”The tests came up with an interesting result: people who play shooter have better eyesight, not worse. Scientists have decided that they develop the eye’s contrast sensitivity, which allows us to see the gray details on a colored background.
4. Assist adaptation in society
According to the popular stereotype, a typical gamer is an antisocial type who can’t string two words together. But scientists from the U.S. and England found that most fans of games on the PC are quite developed, sociable, and friendly. Problems in the social plan they have no.
5. Abilities in learning
Children who have reached a good skill in video games that require continuous involvement and reflection have a good chance to outperform their peers in school. Many of today’s PC games make you continually track, analyze and process large amounts of information, which improves cognitive flexibility. In addition, entertainment increases require a certain amount of concentration, which is another plus for learning.
6. Improve coordination
Many professions require particularly developed motor skills and excellent flexibility of the hands—for example, the work of a surgeon. Scientists from Texas decided to find out who can perform a virtual surgery better: a school student, a student, or a doctor with work experience. Imagine the surprise when it turned out that students who spent two hours or more a day playing video games did better than anyone else.
7. Helps your focus
Many parents believe that computer games distract their children from learning by preventing them from concentrating in class. However, in a test conducted by researcher Vikrant Bejanki, experienced gamers noticeably outperformed other participants in their ability to focus.
8. Cure for depression
Researchers from New Zealand decided to find out whether video games can help in the treatment of mental disorders – in particular, depression. To do this, a special program was created – a video game called “SPARX .”They had to create characters that rid the virtual world of enemies in it. Each level included information about depression and ways to get rid of it.
The experiment involved 168 adolescents who were haunted by anxious thoughts. Fifty percent received regular psychotherapy, while the other half played “SPARX. The game helped get rid of the disorder no worse than intimate conversations with a specialist.
9. Helps to stay in shape
Motion games (“Wii Fit,” “Wii Sports,” etc.) are now widely used in Western rehabilitation centers and nursing homes. Doctors from the Oklahoma Health Research Center have conducted experiments proving the beneficial effects of active video games on the elderly compared to passive recreation. For example, “Wii Sports” gives the same exertion as walking at 5 km/h.
10. Keeps and strengthens love relationships
Psychologists from Denver found that spending time together over a computer game is no worse than other entertainment for a couple in love.
During the study, partners were asked to answer the question of what aspect of the relationship they considered the most significant. The answers indicated a correlation between leisure time activities and the quality of the relationship. Therefore, video games can make a relationship stronger.
