We all love playing a good game over our favorite console. Besides, video games are entertaining. However, there is more to playing video games than spending some good time off from work and troubles of life; Video Games affect your brain in many ways, good and bad.
However, the impact primarily depends on how many hours per day you spend hunched over the screen. Video game playing in moderation can actually be pretty good for your brain, whereas binge-playing can have a negative impact on both your mental and physical health. In this article, we will find out ways video gaming affects your brain.
Before moving on, we want to make sure you aren’t experiencing any problems with your ISP. Besides, you need a stable internet connection to check out some of the cool gaming titles we will mention in this article. For that, we advise signing up for Spectrum Internet service, since they provide their customers the greatest, most feature-rich, but budget-friendly Internet options. So check them out and get yourself online.
Now without further ado, let’s jump into the main discussion.
Table of Contents
Positive Impacts of Video Gaming
Let’s first have a look at the positive sides of video gaming to get an excuse for playing our favorite titles for a bit longer:
Video games improve the Hand-Eye Coordination
When you play video games like Drift Hunters, you have to use your fingers to advance through the game world while simultaneously keeping an eye out for any potential enemies.
According to research, playing video games can enhance cognitive development, such as increased sensitivity to contrasts, improved hand-eye coordination, and improved memory. Millions of people play action real-time strategy video games like World of Warcraft or League of Legends which have been shown to assist real-life athletes to improve their coordination and attention while playing.
Video games improve your Decision-Making
In situations where there is a lot of background noise telling you to do the exact opposite of what you should be doing, cognitive processing is necessary in order to make decisions. Scientists believe that the quick-paced nature of video games may stimulate the brain, improving perceptional sub-processes that hone decision-making abilities.
In the majority of investigations, a link has been shown between gaming and cognitive abilities. While certain games boost cognitive function, others have an impact on overall performance. Games like DOTA and Call of Duty do, according to nearly all research done in the field, increase players’ ability to make decisions.
Video Games help recover from Traumatic Events
Traumatic events are ones that continue to have a significant effect long after they have occurred. This is due to the fact that our brain retains the entire event in it and continually triggers memories of it without our conscious involvement. The good news is that many who experience such tragic occurrences may totally recover and have regular fulfilling lives if they receive some help.
Playing video games can serve as a diversion from discomfort and psychological suffering. Thus, while not the only treatment, video games can nevertheless assist those suffering from mental illnesses like post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
Negative Impacts of Video Gaming
Although video games appear to have many benefits, you should be aware of certain drawbacks, including the following:
Poor Sleep Hygiene
Your brain needs to rest at night in order to function properly the next day. Playing too many video games might make you feel as though your mind is fogged up with all the game’s visuals. In addition to messing up your sleep routine, playing too much will make it difficult to get good sleep. This will have a negative impact on your mental well-being and cause issues with your physical health as well.
Poor Concentration
Spending too much time playing video games might cause your mind to run out of energy, leaving you with a fogged-up head that makes it difficult to focus on other critical tasks. You could also spend a lot of time playing video games while neglecting to drink enough water, which can cause dehydration and subsequently impaired focus due to poor health.
Lack of Motivation
Gaming addicts frequently express a lack of interest in engaging in things other than gaming. Compared to activities you can do in the real world, gaming is a hyper-stimulating habit that can be more absorbing.
This problem might be related to how your brain reacts to the dopamine high you get from playing video games. When you play video games, your brain begins to manufacture a lot of dopamine, the neurotransmitter that makes you feel good. If you use up all of your dopamine while playing video games, you won’t have much left over for other activities, which may make you appear unmotivated.
The Bottom Line
While playing video games in moderation has some wonderful advantages, we should also be aware that excessive gaming might damage our mental and physical health. Therefore, the best course of action is to play video games in moderation and devote time to maintaining your health away from the gaming environment.
Alex is fascinated with “understanding” people. It’s actually what drives everything he does. He believes in a thoughtful exploration of how you shape your thoughts, experience of the world.