Throughout the years, the number of gamers all around the world has been steadily increasing. According to Finance Online, Newzoo reported that there were about 2.69 billion gamers in the world by the end of 2020. They also predicted that there would be over 3.07 billion gamers by the end of 2023. This percentage does not only include adults, but also younger individuals and children.
It’s important to watch out for younger individuals and children, especially since their brain development and cognitive abilities can be affected. That being said, the topic of gaming in relation to brain development and cognitive abilities in children has been a hot topic for parents all over the world.
So, today, we’re going to discuss five ways in which playing games can make you smarter. However, you must note that something in excessive amounts can be harmful. Thus, we’re also going to list a few risks that come with excessive gaming.
Let’s get started!
5 Ways How Playing Videos Games Can Make You Smarter
Everything in moderation is fine. This is the same with gaming. When gaming in moderation, it can provide you with some positive effects, such as better reflexes.
Playing Games Can Enhance Your Attention Span
According to Enhancing Brain, based on new research, playing video games can affect the areas of the brain responsible for visuospatial skills and concentration. Playing video games, for example, has an effect on a person’s attention span. One hour of video game play can increase the brain’s ability to focus, based on a study released by Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.
Moreover, according to certain studies, gamers have better attentional control and sustained attention. Attention-related brain areas need less stimulation to maintain attention during difficult activities.
Playing Games Can Improve Your Reflexes
When playing action games, there are a lot of movements, looking around, having to listen to different sounds, and the likes involved to win. With how intense some action games are (especially if they’re set to hard mode), you’re able to enhance your reflexes since you’re training yourself to think quicker and move at incredible speeds in order to shoot down the enemy or to run as fast as you can from a ticking time bomb.
Playing Games Can Increase Your Intelligence and Problem-Solving Abilities
Most video games demand a significant amount of problem-solving. Various games, however, entail different types of problem-solving. A study of 500 12-year-olds was conducted by researchers at Michigan State University. They discovered that the more children played video games, the more imaginative they were when it came to tasks like sketching images and writing stories. In addition, a study at the University of Glasgow discovered that gaming increased communication skills and adaptability through increasing critical reasoning and critical reflection.
Playing Games Helps to Boost Your Memory
Because of the immersive experience that games provide, video games are packed with stimuli. Thus, exploring the world of video games might help improve your memory.
Moreover, the hippocampus is in charge of spatial memory and the conversion of short-term memories to long-term memories. When you play games, you are actually exercising this part of your brain when you do quest after quest while exploring a virtual world. Keeping your brain in shape by regularly (but in moderation) playing games will boost your long-term memory.
Playing Games Can Enhance Decision-Making Abilities
Playing games—no matter what type of game—will always involve decision-making. The longer you play games, especially games like Walking Dead with choices that go too fast, you’re training yourself to choose the better decision much quicker.
Furthermore, playing action video games is found to boost your brain activity and decision-making skills. Gamers who often play video games made quicker and more precise choices than individuals who seldom play video games in a study that combined brain imaging with a decision-making test. When individuals are trained with video games, cognitive functions such as perception and decision-making are improved.
“Gamers make the best decisions,” they say.
Just like how there are benefits to playing games, there are also risks.
While most individuals find gaming to be a fun and pleasurable pastime, playing games excessively can have negative consequences. Here are some of the consequences of allowing gaming to take over your life:
- Addiction to playing games,
- You might have a higher risk of developing mental health conditions like anxiety and depression,
- Excessive gaming can also lead to insomnia and poor physical health,
- Unhealthy diet,
- And poor personal hygiene and so much more.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Best-Selling Gaming Console in the World?
Currently, the best-selling gaming console in the world is the PlayStation 2.
What are the Best Games to Play to Improve Cognitive Abilities?
The best games to play to improve your cognitive abilities are those that are fast-paced and have a lot of decision-making and puzzle-solving. These kinds of games will train your brain, which will enhance your cognitive functions like perception.
If you want to check out the best games of 2022, you can check out our article about them here.
Final Thoughts
Playing games has lots of advantages, like increased attention span, improved memory, and even quicker decision-making abilities. However, just as too much of anything is harmful, too much gaming can have negative consequences. Fortunately, you can avoid these negative effects by limiting your gaming sessions to 2-4 hours per day.
I hope you enjoyed this article! If you want to read more about gaming, you can check out our blog here.
Happy gaming!
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