There are many people that would have you believe that video games are a waste of time and money. There’s no way to sugar coat this, but these people are wrong. Video games are so much more than just a fun and novel way to idle away the hours. Video games can teach us brand new skills and improve the cognitive skills of children and adults alike. Here are a few ways that video games can add quality to your life.
Games Improve Memory
It has been proven that games can improve memory function. In fact, a study by researchers at the UK University of Cambridge found that games and game apps can help improve the memory function of people with dementia. While, 5000 miles away at the University of California, neurobiologists discovered that playing three-dimensional video games can boost the formation of memories.
There is a kaleidoscope of game types available today for all types of devices. Aside from game consoles like the Xbox and PS4, games can also be downloaded to play on your iPad or smartphone, making them more accessible to a wider age group. Games like Suduko and Lumosity are specifically designed to aid memory strength, but any strategy based game can help to improve memory ability.
Games Help Teach
Not all kids enjoy learning in the traditional ways used in most schools. This can be for any number of reasons, from attention deficit problems to plain old boredom. Whatever the reason, it can be stressful for parents worrying about the education of their offspring. Video games could offer some help and reassurance in certain areas of learning.
There are games made for younger children (8+ years) that are designed for making learning fun. One example is, ‘Who Was? Adventure’ a low-cost game available in the Apple App Store for $0.99c. This game uses fun biographies to help children learn about history. For children who are little older, take a look at the National Geographic Challenge game. Available on Xbox 360, Nintendo Wii, and PlayStation 3, this game aims to help teach geography as well as historical events. The images are amazing, as you would expect from the National Geographic, and the topics are international, making it truly fascinating.
“With a little investigation, you can find games that can teach nearly everything from new languages to typing,” says Patricia Williams, a writer at 1Day2Write and Britstudent. “Console games have more affordable options too now thanks to the option of buying and downloading games directly.”
Games Can Help Improve Focus
You might often hear frustrated teachers and parents warning that video games fry the brain and lead to a lack of focus. The truth is that too much of a good thing is never really beneficial, but video games can help improve focus.
Researchers at the University of Arkansas and Ministry of Education of China collaborated on an extensive study that proved that one hour of playing a video game each day can improve attention and focusing skills.
“Living in a society where the focus is on nutrition, fitness ad wellness, we can often neglect the need for brain training which is just as vital for all ages,” says James Johnson, a lifestyle blogger at Australia2Write and NextCoursework.
Games Can Improve Social Skills
We are not all born equal when it comes to our social skills ability. Some are social butterflies who sail through social functions with ease and charm. Others are socially awkward and sometimes introverted. Thanks to the evolution of game design, we can connect through games and improve these skills.
There are games now which involve teamwork, enabling the players to learn important team player skills from the safety and comfort of home. Other games allow the players to chat with one another while competing, such as soccer video games like FIFA 20 or baseball games like MLB on PS4. For anyone who is usually shy or anxious talking to strangers, these games allow them to slowly develop confidence when talking to others. There is comfort in learning social skills from the safety of a home space surrounded by family.
Author Bio
Michael Dehoyos is a contributor at Dissertation Writing Service and Academic brits. He assists in research projects for a variety of industries and also writes for Origin Writings. In his downtime, Micheal is learning to play the guitar via a video game.
