The argument about whether video games are useful or harmful comes from those ancient times when two white rectangles crawling up and down across a dark TV screen that beat a virtual ball. Most people consider computer games to be the cause of many mental and physical problems – even though there is no convincing scientific evidence for this. Traction in the search for simple solutions lies in the basis of human nature, and computer games have always been an easy target. We offer you several reasons for playing video games.
However, times are changing, and today there is a sufficient amount of professional research that refutes statements about the unambiguously harmful effects of games on the mind and health. Before you start reading, remember – there must be a measure in everything. No use of video games justifies a ten-hour daily dive into the virtual world.
Video games slow the aging process
Everyone is getting old. And although no one denies the experience and wisdom that come with age, years bring with them many problems. Therefore, for example, an old man on a “Moskvich” is traveling at a speed of thirty kilometers per hour with sixty permissible.
But just as physical education will allow you to feel sixty years ten years younger, so the brain can be “kept in shape” with the help of video games. A study was conducted at the University of Iowa, in which 680 people aged 50 and older took part, and here are the conclusions the scientists made:
Video games speed up decision making
Shaun Green of the University of Rochester decided to find out how games affect our decision making ability. His goal was to find out whether games that require attention to small details from us can increase our ability to perceive and thereby improve our decisions.
A group of young people with no computer games experience scored 50 hours in a first-person shooter. The second group was offered a leisurely strategy. It turned out that shooters that require attention to objects that suddenly appear and disappear at the periphery of the visual field significantly improve the so-called “low-level perception” and really speed up decision making. Great news for Warface fans. And one more good news for Warface lovers is the new Warface cases that are brought to your attention and are sold by the Warface “WARBOX” box store. The best cases at the most affordable and decent prices.
Video games improve vision
There is hardly a gamer who has never heard the phrase from his parents: “You will go blind if you stare at the monitor for whole days”. For a long time, it was believed that the games lead to visual fatigue and “dry eye syndrome” due to a decrease in the blink rate. Another group of researchers from the University of Rochester decided to prove the harm caused by games to their eyesight.
The study of 2009 was attended by a group of experienced gamers, whose specialization was Call of Duty and Unreal Tournament 2004. The second group played slow games, such as Sims 2. Tests have shown an improved view of the players in the shooter. The head of research, Daphne Bavelye, concluded that such games develop an ability called contrast sensitivity.
This ability allows us to distinguish shades of gray on a colored background and is especially important when driving a car at night.
A common stereotype describes a person who is fascinated by the world of computer games, as shy or even asocial. Scientists at three different universities in the United States and the United Kingdom have found that gamers who participate in social life are very sociable and friendly. Scientists found that they were taking part in the social life, very sociable and friendly.
“The average gamer is not an antisocial type who has not left his room for weeks. On the contrary, they are very actively interacting with society, ”said one of the researchers, who visited more than twenty events dedicated to games. The researchers also found that the general love of games can be the basis of long and happy family relationships.
Video games develop the ability to learn
Researchers at two universities in London have denied the widespread opinion that games negatively affect school performance. Researchers at two universities in London have denied the common opinion that games negatively affect school performance.
In other words, people who are good at playing fast games, requiring constant involvement and reflection, are able to succeed in their studies. It’s nice to know that your favorite game not only entertains but also develops.
Video games improve hand-eye coordination
There are many professions that require more developed motor skills than an ordinary person. Of course, surgeons need honed skills of possession of the instrument not only in order to conduct a successful operation but also in order not to hurt the artery or a vital organ. Therefore, surgeons are also required to conduct virtual training operations today. There are many occupations that need to be taken. Of course, the surgeons perfected the necessary skills tool, not only to conduct a successful operation. Therefore, surgeons need to conduct a virtual training operation.
Scientists from the medical department of the University of Texas are interested in who can better carry out such an operation – a student, college student or medical practitioner. The researchers were surprised when it turned out that more than the rest succeeded the high school students, who had been playing video games for at least 2 hours a day.
Video games teach focus
Parents today are often concerned that their child is sitting in class, thinking about Minecraft or pokemon instead of listening to the teacher. However, in the course of the test and identify patterns conducted by a scientist by the name of Vikrant Bijanki, experienced players significantly exceeded rarely played or never played computer games.
Video games help to overcome depression
A few years ago, a New Zealand research team became interested in using video games to treat mental disorders, such as depression. A game called SPARX was specially developed, making psychotherapy more intense and exciting than the usual doctor’s appointment.
The study involved 168 adolescents who had previously shown signs of depression. Half of the subjects received traditional therapy, the second half played in “SPARX”. In the game, it was necessary to create characters who rid the fictional world of enemies, personifying dark, destructive thoughts.
Each stage included information about depression, including ways to get rid of negative emotions. The game helped get rid of the disorder no worse than talking to a therapist.
Video games help to stay in shape
Mobile computer games like Wii Fit and Wii Sports are still widely used in rehabilitation centers and nursing homes in the West.
Doctors from the Center for Health Research at the University of Oklahoma conducted experiments that prove the beneficial effects of active video games compared to watching TV or Internet sites. The test showed that Wii Sports gives the same load on the body as walking at a speed of 5 km / h.
Video games help to keep the relationship
Psychologists at the University of Denver found that sharing a computer game is no worse than other ways to have fun and relax for a couple. It was also found that men attach more importance to joint entertainment than women.
During the study, which began in 1996, the couple were asked to answer which aspect of their relationship is the most important. The answers showed a direct relationship between joint “optional” classes and the quality of relationships. So try video games, why not? Like video games themselves, the field of studying their influence on humans is still very young. There is still no consensus about whether games make us more prone to violence and less to compassion. In recent years, scientists tend to argue that computer games (shooters and fighting games including) rather reduce and quench aggression in adolescents rather than provoke it. This was shown by several studies conducted in different research institutions in different countries. There is still a lot of research to be done before we fully understand how virtual characters, stories and worlds affect a person physically and psychologically, and how they can be used for good.
