How Video Games Can Be Good for Your Personal Development
The video gaming industry is in no uncertain terms a juggernaut. With millions of people getting involved on a daily basis, coupled with billions of dollars’ worth of revenue, it is by far one of the fastest-growing industries on the planet. What is underestimated though is the impact that the industry itself has on everyday life, whether it is social, psychological or even in some cases, educational.
Gaming can help your memory
It might not seem like it, but video games can offer a considerable number of benefits when it comes to personal development. For starters, they help to improve your brain’s cognitive function, especially when it comes to problem-solving. Most games have a number of built-in puzzles that force you to use your deductive skills in order to progress. This is good for younger gamers as some of the patterns become familiar and easier to recognize, while older gamers can almost use this process in an attempt to slow down the effects of brain degeneration. One of the most common ways that video games seem to help the brain is with memory, as you begin to retain bits of information that help you navigate certain parts of a particular game, which in term can help to devise strategies in how to complete more complicated puzzles at a later juncture.
To back up this point, there have even been studies run on people aged between 60 and 85 against people in their 20s to see how their performance on a game was affected by their memory. Six months after playing the game, it seemed the older gamers actually performed better than their younger counterparts. This would seem to suggest that brain-training games do indeed benefit long-term memory, but it can often depend on what types of game you are playing as you wouldn’t expect games like GTA to have the same memory rejuvenation function as something like brain training.
It is now a more sociable pastime
Video gaming has become much more a social activity nowadays, with so many games built around the multiplayer model. The likes of Fortnite, Minecraft and Roblox all thrived because people could meet in large hubs and work together to defeat enemies or even just to complete tasks together. All of this would require strong communication and collaborative skills, otherwise you wouldn’t be able to complete any task with any real efficiency. So, just by this logic, social development can also be boosted by video games as you are often forced into situations where you can’t progress without working together, thus improving your team-working skills. This can then be transferred to other environments, such as a place of work, as it means you are more likely to be open to collaboration with others on a more consistent basis.
The same skills can be applied when it relates to playing online slots and even poker. Also, you will be thinking through strategies and learning particular patterns, so that you might progress through a game. The only difference is you are trying to notice similarities that might give you an edge in trying to beat the game and potentially win. If you want information about some of the sites that could give you the best available games with as much variety as possible, then visit this site, as it can provide a real test for your problem-solving skills and deductive reasoning.
The industry is still growing
With the industry continuing to grow and grossing approximately $152 billion in 2019, it stands to reason that more people than ever will likely log on and play for the first time in the near future. In the time it has taken for it to become such a behemoth, the way people communicate has transformed immeasurably. Gone are the days when you physically had to bring your friends round to your house so that you were able to play against each other. Now, it is possible to connect to someone the other side of the world at the mere press of a button and it is through this approach that communication and friendships have spread across the industry. There are no lines between race and religion when you are playing online. In fact, the only thing that matters when playing against or with these other individuals, is that they are your fellow gamers. With this in mind, it is clear that gaming is now one of the best ways to make friends and build relationships.
All things considered, it is clear that the gaming industry has done far more good than bad in helping people to develop. While this isn’t to say people should spend every waking hour gaming, it is not beyond the realms of possibility that the world has changed considerably and gamers are now reaping the benefits. What was once a predominantly isolated world has opened up, providing a wealth of opportunities.