Video games may be stigmatised as a hobby that’s detrimental to your health, but did you know that there are lots of ways in which video games are actually good for you?. Here are just a few ways in which they can enrich your life, rather than bring it down.
Keep You Organised
You might not realise this, but video games can be an excellent way to keep you organised. Just think of how many checklists that games are filled with these days – looking at you, Ubisoft. I can’t be the only one who sees a list of objectives to complete and works through it meticulously.
In a lot of ways, this has helped me get a grasp on my personal life. When life gets busy, I start to look at it from a gaming perspective. Separating all of my daily tasks into checklists like some sort of side activity can go a long way in making me get my ducks in a row.
Improved Social Skills
Anyone who’s played a multiplayer game will already know this, but gaming is excellent for building your social skills. Especially when you play online, you end up meeting people from all walks of life. You don’t have to go far on the internet to hear about how people have found their soulmates through online gaming.
Beyond the friendships we make along the way, though, gaming can be a great conversation starter in the real world. Whether it’s an icebreaker at work, in the gym, or indeed on a date, gaming is a shared experience and is something that can be bonded over.
Improved Dexterity
Depending on the game you play, you may find yourself needing to perform multiple inputs in a short space of time. Experienced players may take their ability for granted, but it’s not something that everyone is born with naturally. When you look at professional esports players, you quickly realise that playing video games has helped them improve their dexterity to no end.
Improved Reaction Times
In a similar manner, playing video games has the ability to massively improve your reaction times. Especially with the likes of shooters and racing games, players are often tasked with split second decisions that can be the difference between winning and losing. Personally, I like to use tools like AimLab to improve my skills in shooters. Tools like these are especially useful if improving your reaction time is one of your life goals.
Keep You Fit
While some video games may require you to sit down, that’s not the case for all of them. VR games especially can see players exerting an immense amount of energy – Beat Saber is a personal favourite if you’re looking to work up a sweat.
Alternatively, there are also games entirely focused around improving your personal fitness. Remember Wii Fit? Well, Ring Fit for the Nintendo Switch is a much more modern and effective take on the fitness game genre. It’ll have you burning off those calores in no time.
If you want to take things to the next level, some gamers have even been known to install a TV at the end of their treadmill or turbo trainer. If indoor cardio is something you’re into, why not double up and get some game time in simultaneously?
Improve Your Mental Health
Last but not least, video games have the potential to drastically improve your mental health. Whether it’s the escapism you’re after or something to play while catching up with a friend, the role that video games play in our mental health can’t be underestimated. If you’re struggling mentally, Safe in our World is a UK based charity aimed towards gamers.
How else do you think that video games are actually good for you? Let us know across our social channels.
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Featured Image Credit: Afif Kusuma via Unsplash