14 Reasons Gaming Is Good For You

No matter where you look, someone somewhere is going to tell you that screen time and gaming is a bad thing. That they’re for lazy people. They’ll rot your brain. They’ll give you square eyes. You’ll be boring. You never go anywhere. They’re not helping you study. Those are all things that naysayers will regularly say to put you off playing with your games, and they shouldn't stop you from enjoying yourself. 

In fact, if people do come up to you and tell you how bad something you enjoy is, turn around and walk in the other direction. You don't need that kind of negativity in your life , particularly when this is the kind of negativity that can make you feel low, unhappy and as if your preferences and choices are wrong. You deserve better than that, and you deserve to do things in your personal time that make you feel good and happy. When you were a kid, you might have played games on GameBoy consoles and Sega MegaDrive and they would have brought you joy. As an adult, gaming on PC, PlayStation, mobile gaming apps and more are all there for you to play whenever you want to. You can be an adult gamer and still have a valid hobby, and if you’re on the fence as to why gaming is a good thing, let’s pour cold water on the doubters and talk about all the reasons you need!

1

You’re going to be able to solve problems because of your gaming. Yes! You are going to develop some of the best problem solving skills around because of the time that you spend gaming. Those hard levels? They’re developing your ability to solve the quests and problems ahead of you. You work hard to devise the right strategies and beat the boss. You never start out as a genius as a gamer, but you’re going to fail a few times to get there. Those problem solving skills are going to seep into your everyday life, and you will be able to solve issues that don't even occur in the game itself. 

2

You’ll be able to build on your imagination. Creativity in gaming is impressive and anyone who has witnessed the latest graphics will know that. When you play video games, you become a more creative person. You can learn to trust your imagination and stretch it with the right games, and that will be a positive when it comes to expanding your thinking and creating whole new worlds. Video games make you far more productive and no matter your console of choice, you’re going to have so much fun using your imagination as much as possible. 

3

You’re going to improve your mood . Let’s be honest, when you have gaming as your hobby, you’re going to feel good every time you log in and play. When you’re angry, you can smash down walls in Mario Smash Bros, and when you are feeling like strategising, Fifa Football Manager is a good place to start. You can build in The SIMS and be your own boss in Rollercoaster Tycoon. Games can instantly improve your mood, which is exactly what you want if you’re feeling low. You want to be able to relax when you’re anxious, and that means learning which games make your mind and body feel happy.

4

You get to be a social butterfly. Oh, gaming isn't an isolating thing to do. It’s important that you learn this as early as possible! Gaming opens up worlds of people. You’re talking about many layers of individuals, created communities, GamingCon and more. You can bet that people will be interacting with you from all around the world. No matter the time of day or night, someone somewhere will be ready to challenge and play, and gaming is going to open these worlds up to you in an instant. Studies show that gamers are social people - just because they prefer to be social online isn't necessarily a bad thing! You can really enjoy a whole new online community of friends, and while they won’t necessarily be in person, you will still get all of the benefits of friendship and community in one place. As long as you’re maintaining a healthy balance of seeing people in person and being online, you’re good.

5

Did you know that gaming can help to stimulate the growth of neurons in the brain? Most people aren't aware of this, but neurogenesis can occur in the gaming brain because of the level of new information being processed. There is a significant increase in the brain matter of a gamer, and that means you’re literally building brain muscle when you game. It’s the equivalent of a workout in the gym, and you know how that goes! If you want to grow your brain, you absolutely should be gaming!

6

You’ll be able to make faster, better decisions . When you are gaming, you have to make quick snap decisions that will help you to get through each level. This becomes a new skill that you learn and then put into other areas of your life. Anyone who has played a fast-paced game knows exactly what that’ll mean and you can use those skills in every other area of your life. Some games require you to have faster reflexes - even simple ones. It’s such a good thing that the consideration is that gaming will help soldiers and surgeons to work better and make better decisions, too!

7

You’ll learn to persevere. Video gaming gives you grit and there’s no other way to put this. All of those times you’re tripped up and sent back to the start of a level, all of the times you try to fight the boss and lose? Those are all things that are going to teach you to keep going with your gaming. You’re going to find that there is a challenge in every game that you play, and it's this challenge that will keep you pushing to do better. The better you do, the more you conquer, and everyone wants to conquer something!

8

You’ll  learn to improve your memory . When you play the same games over and over, you learn to pick up on patterns that are going to help you to win the game. Every single game is basically a created code, and it’s these codes that will help you to learn how the game runs, each pathway the game is going to take you and more. You’re going to learn pattern recognition without even realising it and it’s going to help you to become better at the game, too!

9

Hand/eye coordination gets better. Over time, you start learning to improve your hand/eye coordination as you play. Most of your brain power is focused clearly on your tasks but your physical ability to keep up with the gameplay through your hands will help you in other walks of life, too. 

10

Gain experience in navigation. Are you somewhat reliant upon your GPS or guides like fallout 4 location guide? Well, when you play games, you learn to navigate an entirely new world; one that you don't even have to drive around! You’ll learn all about hundreds of kilometres of landscapes and you’ll improve your ability to navigate over time, which is precisely what you want when you are playing games. 

11

You will learn that taking risks can pay off . It’s often hard to reconcile taking risks in your life. Life is scary and we only get one go of it, which is a good reason to take a risk and be a little different, but it’s not the best recipe for it when you only get one shot. Almost all games are all about risks, and they are programmed for those who take risks. Games can help you to learn that taking risks is okay, that the world won’t end when you try something new. You have the chance to take more risks than ever in the digital world because there’s no real personal risk. It’s your character that gets a beating, not you! So, take the risks and learn the lessons that come with it.

12

Games promote cooperation and better team work. Team work makes the dream work, right? Ask anyone who has played RPGs - teamwork really matters for the game to go well. Most gamers get into teams and it’s these teams that will help them to learn how to play as a team, almost to the point of reading each other’s minds and coordinating effectively.

13

Better life vision. Did you know that video games in all forms can help you to create a vision for your life that you find easy to chase? So many are inspired by the worlds in which they play, the graphics and the career options in gaming, that they end up crafting a whole new vision for their future. You could be inspired to change your entire future. 

14

You could earn money. Some gamers stream their play on Twitch and other platforms. Some of them do this to earn more money - and it’s a good way to do it!