15 Reasons Why Playing Video Games Is Actually Good For You

Are video games a waste of time? Some people would say so. But video games offer many benefits. They are often a type of interactive entertainment, which is important to the world's workforce. Plus, they have been proven to have a positive effect on cognitive skills in children and adolescents. Video games can help bring people together and make new friends through playing with others, creating positive social interactions which has been shown to reduce stress levels as well as inflammation. As for health benefits, there is evidence that video games can be good for our hearts by improving blood circulation and increasing heart health among other things...

1. Video Games Are A Good Way To Relax

A lot of people enjoy playing video games to relax, which is why many people play them after a long day at work or school. While playing, the body actually produces endorphins, which are "feel good" hormones that make you feel relaxed and happy. When there's no stress, the release of cortisol is slowed down and your heart rate decreases. So when you're done playing your favorite game, you'll be left feeling relaxed and happier than before...

2. Playing Video Games With Others Is An Easy Way To Make New Friends

Many people enjoy playing video games and it has become quite a social activity. Nowadays, you can find many people that play games online with others, either through an Xbox or PlayStation network. It's also considered a great way to meet new friends, even if they're in a different country and thousands of miles away. Many people have even made lifelong friends this way...

3. Video Games Can Prevent Obesity

It's well known that being completely sedentary is bad for your health. In fact, those who play games for at least two hours per week are less likely to be overweight or obese than those who don't play video games. Another study found that playing video games like Dance Dance Revolution and Just Dance can help improve physical fitness, including aerobic fitness and muscle strength...

4. Video Games Can Help With Activity

Video games are often a form of interactive entertainment, so they actually require you to move around while playing! This is good news because it means you'll be more physically active by playing your favorite game. A lot of video games require good reflexes and quick thinking, which gets the heart pumping faster. And as we mentioned before, being more physically active is great for keeping the body healthy...

5. Video Games Can Help Increase Memory Power

Video games are a great way to increase memory power. According to a study conducted by the University of California in San Diego, people who played video games for 30 minutes on the Wii Balance Board improved their memory skills! The game was called "Brain Age", which is actually quite popular in Japan. So if you're looking for ways to improve your memory, playing video games may just be one of them! And those who play video games regularly have better scores in tests related to verbal recall, visual recall and executive functions...

6. Playing Video Games Improves Sights

Many people enjoy playing video games, but they may not know that they can actually help improve your eyesight. A study conducted in the year 2000 showed that children who played video games for at least 2 hours a day had better eyesight than children who didn't play video games. It was especially effective in those who played games with first person shooter games or racing games...

7. Game Can Help Improve Hearing

According to a study performed in the year 2007, children who play video games have better hearing than those who don't. Those who play games with lots of explosions, like First Person shooters and racing video games, are more likely to have better hearing than those who play other types of video games. It may not seem like you need good hearing for playing the latest Wii game or an Xbox game, but it could help when you grow older...

8. Gamers Have Better Recognition

While playing a video game, there are many things to pay attention to and process in your head. This helps you learn how to recognize things much faster than someone who doesn't play as much. Some games also require you to use your memory skills and recall information you learned earlier in the game, which is also a great way to improve recognition...

9. Video Games Can Improve Spatial Skills

Spatial skills are important when moving around, finding your way and having a good sense of direction. This skill is important for everyday living, especially if you're someone who likes playing video games! And it has been proven that those who play video games (especially shooters and racing games) have better spatial skills than those who don't play video games at all. Of course, this skill can be improved by playing more video games...

10. Video Games Can Improve Remaining Skills

The brain is a complex organ, and it takes time to learn how to play a video game just as it does to learn anything else. This makes gaming an excellent way to improve your remaining skills, which is something you'll need when you get older! Let's face it- parents don't always know best and sometimes give their children terrible advice. But by playing video games, you'll be able to develop your critical thinking skills and learn how to make more decisions...

11. Video Games Can Improve The Brain

Playing games may be a fun way for our brains to exercise and use the muscles in our brain while doing so. Researchers have also found that video games can help improve the brain. Some even believe that playing video games is a good way to increase your IQ! So if you think you know everything, try playing a game and you might be surprised!

12. Video Games Boost Your Chances Of Getting A Good Job

It's well known that getting a good job almost always takes years of study and learning. But in some parts of the world, there are people that get into professions right out of high school or even college. The reason for this is that they learned how to play video games when they were younger. These people are called "ludologists" and they use their skills to work as game developers, programmers and other areas that deal with technology. It was even discovered that these people can get paid more than their peers! So if you're not interested in making games, you can still get a good job by learning how to play them...

13. Video Games Can Teach You New Skills

Let's face it- playing video games doesn't just improve your brain! While many people think playing games is a waste of time, it actually helps develop other talents in real life. There are many games that teachers use in class to help teach new skills like math, science and reading. While some people think these skills are very boring to learn, they're actually an excellent way to improve your memory and critical thinking skills in a fun way.

14. Video Games Can Boost Self-Esteem

I'm not saying that you have to have video games to have a good self-esteem, but it can help a lot! Many video games teach you how to be yourself and deal with stress and pressure in life. To quote one article, "the best way to show kids their capacity is to challenge them by taking away their ability to control things..." While some people may disagree with this statement, it's true that many video games are just like reality...

15. Video Games Can Help Improve Your Hand-Eye Coordination

This is a major reason why kids spend hours and hours playing video games! By using the Wii Balance Board when they play, kids can improve their hand-eye coordination and coordination overall, which is important for many careers and sports. It's even been proven that those who play the game Dance Central can actually improve balance and hand-eye coordination skills fast...

Conclusion

I hope you now see why there's more to playing video games than just wasting time... they can actually help improve your abilities and cause you to learn new skills! While some people think gamers are lazy, they can actually be pretty smart and use their skills more often than many kids do. So if you want to boost your brain power and enjoy some fun at the same time, I recommend picking up one of these excellent games that help children learn how to play video games (and many other subjects)!