During childhood, playing games is actively encouraged as a way to develop key skills and assist with socialization. When you grow up, the desire to play games in the traditional sense often reduces, and for many people, playing online games and video games takes the place of traditional board games and imaginative play. But the question is, is playing online games actually good for you? Are there benefits to be gained from playing online games just like the games you played when you were a kid?
There’s no doubt that playing online games and video games is enjoyable. In fact, it’s estimated that there are around 3.32 billion active gamers across the world right now. The popularity of gaming has increased at an impressive rate in recent years. This is largely believed to be due to the COVID pandemic, as it encouraged people to look for ways to keep themselves occupied while sheltering in place. It seems that gaming proved to be a perfect hobby during that period, and even as the world has returned to normal once again, the popularity of gaming has remained consistently high.
So, we know that playing online games and video games is an incredibly popular pastime. But aside from offering entertainment value are these games actually good for you, and if so, what benefits can they bring? Keep reading to find out more about the potential benefits of playing online games:
Teaches New Skills
One of the biggest benefits of playing online games is the opportunity to build new skills. Playing games allows you to experience different scenarios that you wouldn’t normally come across in real life, speeding around a race track in an overpowered car is an example of this. However, some skills that you can learn while playing games are transferable to real life. Playing chess online is a prime example of this.
Chess can be a pretty daunting game to play in real life when you’ve no experience of how to play and don’t understand the different pieces and moves. Online chess games are an ideal introduction to the game, as you can read through the game rules and instructions, and play at your own pace. There’s no need to worry about facing a competitor until you’re more experienced, as most online games allow you to play against the computer to begin with.
Provides Escapism
Building new skills and learning something totally new within the comfort of your own home is a huge advantage of online games and video games. However, sometimes, online games can be beneficial without teaching you anything at all. At times, all you need is some escapism. Online can provide endless escapism. Being able to switch off from the world and immerse yourself entirely in a game can be a huge advantage at times. This is especially true if you’re going through a difficult time, or you are under a lot of stress and pressure.
The escapism provided by playing online games can be an ideal way to chill out at the end of a long, difficult day. Being able to sit back and relax while you play can be the perfect antidote to help you switch off and relax.
Increases Cognitive Reserves
Playing video games and online games may also be able to provide some long-term benefits that could help in old age. One big concern that many people have about growing older is the fear of their cognitive abilities declining. Becoming forgetful, struggling with balance and coordination, and finding it difficult to concentrate are all potential signs and symptoms of dementia. However, it may be possible to keep these symptoms at bay by building your cognitive reserves throughout life.
Research has shown that playing video games frequently can be a helpful way to build cognitive reserves and this is associated with a low risk of dementia.
Improves Hand-Eye Coordination
Your hand-eye coordination is something you use to perform basic tasks every day in your life. However, there aren’t that many situations where you deliberately set out to work on it and improve the coordination between your eyes and hands. In fact, you probably never deliberately seek out tasks to improve this.
Interestingly, if you play video games, you have probably been working on your hand-eye coordination without even realizing it. Playing online games provides plenty of opportunities to put your hand-eye coordination to the test and work on improving it. Many video games require you to spot people or objects in the game play and react to them fast to avoid losing a life. This not only helps to speed up your reactions, it also improves hand-eye coordination.
Offers Opportunities to Connect
Many people think of playing online games and video games as a solitary activity. However, this isn’t strictly true. Playing video games can provide an excellent opportunity to connect with other people, and can easily become a shared interest to be enjoyed with others.
Making gaming a more sociable activity is actually pretty easy, and can help you to build lasting connections with others. Gaming enables you to play with people you already know either in-person or online, as well as enabling you to play against other gamers from across the world. You could even bring your friends or family members together for a fun gaming night at home, and make this a fun, regular activity that you all enjoy together. This could involve setting up your own tournament for everyone to take part in, or having themed gaming nights where you play a different game each time.
Playing online with strangers enables you to build connections with like-minded gamers and to share your love of the game. If you’re a seasoned gamer, and consistently manage to achieve impressive results, you could even consider joining online tournaments and leagues to put your skills to the test against other elite gamers.
Whether you want to make new connections online, or to bring your family and friends together in real life, gaming provides the perfect opportunity to make that happen.
Builds Executive Function
Your executive function plays a key role in your daily life. It refers to your ability to problem solve, reason, and your working memory. These functions all enable you to get through your daily life and deal with the challenges you come up against. When you play online games or video games, you have the opportunity to put these executive functions through their paces time and again as you attempt to progress through to the next level, score points, and ultimately complete the game.
Playing video games provides you with a unique opportunity to practice each of these key areas of executive functioning, often without you even realizing that you are doing it. Whether you’re awae of it or not, developing your executive functioning can help you in everyday life as you navigate your way through the different situations and challenges that life throws at you.
Final Thoughts on Playing Online Games
Playing online games is a source of entertainment for many people. However, playing video games or online games may offer benefits that extend way beyond mere entertainment. When you play video games, you out a whole range of different skills to the test, and this can help them to develop further and potentially support you in your everyday life.
From improving memory to building cognitive reserve, increasing problem solving skills and helping you to connect with like-minded people, playing online games and video games offers you many potential benefits.
