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Ever since video games were created and introduced to the world, they have garnered some negative reactions. Much of the stigma is rooted in the assumption that video games can make people, especially young children, more violent. This assumption has been widely accepted by countless people, and there are even people who are actively trying to ban gaming.
But even though it’s a widespread belief that video games only provide violence and no other valuable lessons, it’s actually not a true statement. In fact, studies have shown that playing video games offers several benefits.
The Five Most Common Benefits of Video Games
Video Games Can Inspire People to Get Into Tech/Programming
Video games are complex creations. These aren’t simply videos with animated characters — they also have a user interface and a labyrinth of mechanics just to bring them to life. And how exactly do video games come to life? It’s through countless hours of coding and programming.
Because of the complicated nature of video games, many gamers eventually feel compelled to learn about the inner workings of a game. And when they start reading about how video games work and how they are created, they might want to do more research about different technological topics, such as Guided Hacking tutorials and the like. And before you know it, they now dream of studying coding or programming or computer science or any other related fields in the future.
Long story short, playing video games can entice people to become future programmers and tech specialists. Or, if not, they will be inspired to learn new tech skills at least. Whatever the case, some people find their passion in technology because of video games, and that’s a beautiful thought.
Video Games Are Also Great to Introduce People to Storytelling
Video games come in a wide variety of styles, genres, and content. There are shooter games, platform games, action-adventure, and so many more. But even though these games vary in genres, they share one common element — most of them, if not all, have a narrative element underneath.
For example, The Legend of Zelda franchise is primarily action-adventure, which means that the focus is on the player defeating monsters and saving the land. But in order to make this goal much more exciting, there is always a storyline in each of the games that explores the world, the lore, and the characters.
This storytelling element in many video games has captivated gamers, and so they might be inspired to pick other media that contains unforgettable stories. They might find these stories in movies, shows, and books, and in the future, they might even start writing their own.
Essentially, video games are the gateway to storytelling for some people. So, aside from tech fields, people can discover their love for literature or film through video games.
Video Games Can Teach You Problem-Solving Skills
In addition to storytelling, another characteristic that video games share is the fact that they all have challenges within. Some are simple challenges, but others possess complex puzzles and mysteries, and you have to be creative to solve them.
Basically, people who play video games learn how to solve problems in the most creative ways. They learn how to pick up context clues on how to solve the puzzle, and they also learn how to strategize to decipher the mystery and move on to the next quest. All this, they continue to do for a long time with several games.
And these problem-solving skills they’ve learned from video games will stay with them. They can apply these skills to their day-to-day life, which is incredibly helpful.
Video Games Help People Find Friends
Another misguided belief about video games is that playing video games causes isolation. In other words, these people believe that gamers are lonely and friendless since they spend most of their time playing video games.
This assumption couldn’t be further away from the truth. There are now groups and clubs dedicated to the fans of certain video games. Aside from that, there are conventions where gamers can meet other gamers, and there is now a way for people to play the same games at the same time even though they live far away from each other.
In other words, contrary to popular belief, playing video games actually helps you find friends.
Video Games Can Help With Anxiety and Depression
One benefit that people seem to overlook is that video games can actually help with mental health issues. For many people, playing video games is their preferred way of relaxing after a long stressful day or when their mental health is at its lowest.
There are several reasons for this, and every experience is unique. That said, one of the most common reasons is that video games are a form of entertainment, and when we’re entertained, we are distracted from the stresses of real life. For that reason, playing video games is an excellent way to unwind.
Furthermore, video games also help you focus. When you feel anxious or depressed, it feels like your brain is overwhelmed by so many thoughts. But when you play video games, you’re able to focus on one main goal — for example, to finish a particular quest — and this can help you calm down.
With all of that said, it’s safe to assume that playing video games helps relieve stress, anxiety, and other mental health issues.
Conclusion
Over the years, video games have garnered a bad reputation simply because people think they are pointless and only promote violence. But in reality, video games actually offer a lot of benefits to people. They can help people find their passions, instill necessary problem-solving skills, and befriend so many people. They are also a form of stress relief.
Long story short, everyone can benefit something from video games. So, hopefully, people can try out a few video games for themselves and realize that video games aren’t as bad as they once believed.
Thank you for reading!