Mental Health Benefits Of Video Games

Video games are mostly reported as being negative for a person’s mental health, becoming an addiction and causing depression, however, this is pretty far-fetched from the actual truth. Video games can be great for mental health and growth of a person when used in the right manner.

Video Games Can Be Bad

Games, like virtually any content or media today, can be bad for mental health if not consumed and used responsibly. Treating games as a coping mechanism for other problems in life will likely only lead to an addiction, unhealthy lifestyle, isolation and eventually depression.

The typical claims of video games causing violence are simply not true, but they can still pose a problem in other ways. For the majority of people, video games do more good than they do harm, but it’s important to remember that using them as a comping mechanism can lead to other more prominent issues in life.

Health Benefits Of Video Games

Video gaming may not seem like something to really aid in health, but there are a few interesting ways in which they can make a positive impact.

• ADHD and Dyslexia – Research points towards video games, especially with high paced action, to be beneficial for people who may have ADHD or Dyslexia. The constantly changing environments and split-second decision nature of action games require a high level of consistent focus. Practising consistent and unwavering focus by playing these games can translate to increased focus ability in other aspects of life.
• Vision – Video games have shown to benefit vision and keep longer lasting eyesight. Video games have shown to help players better recognize sudden colour changes and small variations in different colours. In one study, video games have shown to help with “lazy” eye conditions as well. This is with moderate hours and a properly set distance from the monitor, extended hours may still result in poor eye health from an over exposure to light.
• Stress and Anxiety – Video games and playing Canada slots online have shown to reduce stress and anxiety in a lot of people. This may seem obvious, as partaking in a hobby would generally relieve stress, but studies have shown the same link to people who normally don’t play video games. This will depend greatly on the type of games played and the person playing it, but the right game stands to improve anybody’s mood.
• Brain function – Video games have been proven to help aid in long-standing brain function. Like simple brain games, but at a larger scale. What makes video games preferable over something like a brain game or a crossword puzzle, is the sheer variation of puzzles and choices that need to be made in video games.

Video games are not only for young people when it comes to benefits. The standing benefits like brain exercises are great for older people too. There are thousands of different video games out there that can all benefit in some way.