15 Surprising Benefits of Playing Video Games
15 Surprising Benefits of Playing Video Games
15 Surprising Benefits of Playing Video Games
July 8, 2019
Summary
Challenging, and ambitious, video games have come a long way since the simple arcade titles of the 1970s-and evidence is mounting that the benefits of play go well beyond entertainment and improved hand-eye coordination.
In honor of National Video Game Day, here are 15 ways games are programming better people.
While you may think you want your surgeon reading up on the latest medical research instead of playing games, you might want to reconsider: a study of laparoscopic specialists found that those who played for more than three hours per week made 32 percent fewer errors during practice procedures compared to their non-gaming counterparts.
Another had participants try to play games using only their "Lazy" eye, with the "Good" one obscured.
Video games can help you make new social connections.
Studies have shown games can also be the catalyst for friends to gather in person: roughly 70 percent of all players play with friends at least some of the time.
Video games can help improve balance in multiple sclerosis patients.
One study showed that MS patients who played games requiring physical interaction while standing on a balance board displayed improvement afterward.
In one study, players who were immersed in fast-paced games were 25 percent faster in reacting to questions about an image they had just seen compared to non-players.
Players preoccupied with indulging in overeating, smoking, or drinking might be best served by reaching for a controller instead. A university study revealed a 24 percent reduction in desire for their vice of choice after playing a puzzle game.
Reference
15 Surprising Benefits of Playing Video Games. (2019, July 08). Retrieved September 28, 2020, from https://www.mentalfloss.com/article/65008/15-surprising-benefits-playing-video-games