In 2022, it’s estimated around three billion people regularly play computer games worldwide, that’s almost 40% of the planet’s population. In some countries, that percentage is even higher, for instance around two-thirds of Americans could be classed as gamers.
Far from being an eighties or nineties fad, computer gaming is more popular today than ever before. The industry today is worth over $170 billion with some analysts predicting it will double over the next 10 years.
It’s a pastime that, in the developed world at least, can be enjoyed by almost anyone at almost any time. For huge numbers of people, gaming makes up a significant element of their spare time activities.
Historically, gaming has endured a lot of unfair criticism from people believing it is antisocial or even unhealthy. Sedentary and lonesome is the traditional image of a gamer, and then there is the constant concern over glamorised violence.
There’s no doubt, like any activity which uses a significant amount of our time, playing computer games affects our lifestyle. To suggest its effects are all negative, however, is both naive and unhelpful.
There are many real-life benefits to be gained from playing computer games. Here are just some of those benefits and how they can have a real positive impact on our daily lives.
Mental health and social skills
Numerous studies have shown a correlation between playing computer games and signs of reduced stress and improved mental health. Mood boosts and better heart rhythms are found during play and some games have been used in therapy for decades.
Regardless of game type, successful gaming can require long periods of intense attention on the part of the player. As a result, regular gamers often develop the ability to concentrate fully for longer periods of time on other activities.
Many of the classic video games reward persistence and learning by doing, representing the very definition of ‘try try again’. As a result, players learn failure is often the first step to success and perseverance is a valuable life skill.
While gaming in the 1980s might have been a largely solo activity, gaming in 2022 can be incredibly social. Online and network gaming requires players to work together and form alliances, which can help gamers develop strong social skills.
Social skills aren’t the only personal qualities computer games can teach users, many skills can be learnt through play. Maths, languages, even history or politics can all be learned while enjoying computer games built around such topics.
Physical health and abilities
Stronger detail perception and periphery vision can mean the difference between digital life or death in first-person shooters, first-person shooter sites, are proving to be incredibly popular due to the quick nature and intensity of the game. So, contrary to the assumption all screen time is bad, these games can actually stimulate physical improvements in these areas.
Improved physical qualities don’t stop with eyesight either, modern computer games sites can require many complex and coordinated hand movements. The drive to succeed and the performing of repetitive tasks can lead to enhanced physical dexterity and hand-eye coordination.
As consoles such as the Wii and Xbox promote full-body physical interactions, the benefits for physical health continue to grow. VR technology is the next step towards a digital realm that offers all the same benefits as traditionally active pastimes.
Transferable skills for working life
Images of permanently jobless gamers living in their parents’ basement until middle age are a far cry from reality today. In fact, the list of transferable skills a gamer can pick up represents a wish list for many job descriptions.
Cognitive abilities such as spatial awareness, memory, and focus are all naturally developed by many computer games. For jobs involving mathematics, engineering, and architecture amongst many others, these are key qualities and skills.
Backed up by fMRI scans taken in 2015, it is known computer games can improve problem-solving skills and logical thought. These are some of the most sought-after qualities in employees for multiple job roles in dozens of sectors.
Even in simpler computer games, there can be a lot going on at once for a player to handle. Learning to efficiently and reliably multitask is a requirement for digital success as it is in the world of work.
Similarly, there are no prizes in computer games for players who can’t make the right decisions at the right times. By demonstrating rewards for clear and timely decisions, games promote the sort of confident decision making expected of high-level workers. While there is obviously an element of risk to gambling, real money poker sites can help players to weigh up possibilities and improve decision making, which of course are vital in everyday and working life.
Attention to detail, accuracy, and full completion of tasks are essential parts of many job roles from entry-level to leadership. They are also fundamental requirements of thousands of computer games that serve to offer solid training in these behaviours.
Finally, working together for success doesn’t only develop social skills, it helps develop the qualities needed for effective team working. Multiplayer games sites attract plenty of traffic as they not only teach how to work well within teams, but how to select members based on individual properties.
There is a huge crossover of skills and qualities required for both computer games and the world of work. It could perhaps even be argued that traditional recruitment interviews might be better replaced by gaming workshops in many cases.
Better living through gaming
These are a few ways computer games have been shown to positively affect the lifestyle and skills of their players. As multiplayer technology and physical integration continue to develop, the benefit can only grow in range and extent.
So, time to hit the on switch and start improving your life, and maybe even your career?