About 75% of people in the United States play some type of video game.
Playing video games is fun for many people, but understanding the benefits to your mental health behind it may make you want to play even more.
Keep reading to learn about just a few of the main cognitive benefits of playing video games.
Problem-Solving Ability
Many video games have puzzles in them that need solving to go onto the next level. Sometimes, the solution to the puzzle will be different depending on what your character in the game has been doing so far.
Learning how to find the answers to these problems translates to real-world problem-solving skills.
Attention Span and Vigilance
If you’re a gamer, you may have noticed that your attention span is better when you’re playing a game that has a lot of stuff going on at once. A good example of this is a game like Rocket League.
This may be true especially if it’s a game you’re more familiar with already.
Video games can improve our capacity to find and target certain stimuli while ignoring stimuli that are similar. In addition to that, they can help us find and target that stimulus faster than we would without the additional practice they provide.
Children and adults both benefit from video games helping them track moving objects, even when other objects that are alike are within the range of vision. This means that people can pay attention to the things that need their attention longer and that attention is gained faster.
Multitasking Ability
Experienced gamers often use their frontal cortex most often. This part of the brain is known for planning, multitasking, and attention.
Gamers will automatically use this area of the brain because they get used to it, which will help them apply these same skills to their home or work lives. Multitasking is important to learn at any age.
Improved Mental Flexibility
One study showed that mental flexibility and the potential to switch between tasks with ease improves depending on the type of game the gamer plays.
Part of this can be related back to problem-solving abilities, but it also is related to creative thinking and quick thinking skills. Being flexible means that you are able and willing to change course, but also that you know what to do to get the intended result.
Understand the Cognitive Benefits of Playing Video Games
Now that you have a better idea of the various cognitive benefits of playing video games, you might be interested in getting more involved with the community.
There are plenty of other people just like you that love to game. In fact, there are regular matches and tournaments out there that you can participate in to show off your skills, and learn more about gaming and the entire gaming community.Are you interested? If so, be sure to check out our upcoming tournaments today and play your favorite game (or try a new one) with friends at Drop-In Gaming.