A lot of people wrongly believe that video games are bad for your health, but this couldn’t be any further from the truth (although gaming can be a problem when a healthy diet and exercise are abandoned in favor of it). In fact, there are myriad benefits associated with playing video games!
As long as you live an otherwise healthy lifestyle, gaming can be very good for you both mentally and physically. This post will explore some of the surprising benefits that you can gain from playing video games – in moderation!
Gaming Moderately
As referenced in this post’s introduction, gaming is only good for you when it’s practiced in moderation. When you play video games for prolonged periods of time, you risk developing eye strain, as well as other health issues relating to a sedentary lifestyle. On average, gamers spend around 8 hours and 27 minutes a week gaming. This might seem like a lot, but it’s actually not. Experts say that adults should spend no more than two hours per day looking at screens, outside of work. As long as gamers break down their gameplay into two-hour slots, they can avoid experiencing eye strain and other issues, like headaches and fatigue.
Energy Usage
As long as you stick to your age group’s recommended screen time, you could actually save money on your energy bills. As is shown in the pictured infographic by Comparethemarket.com.au’s energy comparison service, if gamers stuck to recommended screen usage times, they would save around $21.82 annually. You should factor in other tasks and chores that you need to do online if you’re going to try and cut down on your screen usage. Two hours a day is considered the maximum amount for most adults, so you won’t be able to spend all of that gaming. You will need to consider checking emails, responding to messages, and social media use when calculating screen time.
Mental Health
For a long time, people claimed that video games were bad for the mental health of gamers, but scientific studies have shown these claims to be erroneous. As long as video games are played in moderation, they can be very good for mental health. For one, video games can help to reduce the symptoms of anxiety and depression. Furthermore, video games can give people a sense of achievement and help them to regulate their emotions. One of the most significant benefits of video games is that they can help people to foster social connections, even if they suffer from anxiety or don’t regularly socialize in person.
Social Benefits
Gaming is a common hobby for young people and adults alike. People are able to forge bonds and develop long-lasting friendships with others by playing video games. In addition to online games which allow people to communicate using headsets, many video games also have online communities which use forums and chat rooms. Participation in online communal spaces is an effective way of making friends and meeting new people. Online communities played a very important role in keeping people sane during the COVID-19 pandemic and its many lockdowns. The ability to make friends online makes it possible for even society’s shyest and most anti-social members to make meaningful connections. Players can play solo, with friends, or against online strangers.
Dexterity
It’s been known for a very long time that video games can help to improve coordination and dexterity. Scientific studies have even found that gamers made 37% fewer mistakes when performing advanced processes and they completed them a lot faster. Improved dexterity can help you to use your hands more skillfully and can make performing precise movements a lot easier. Some other ways of improving your dexterity include woodcarving, painting, drawing, sewing, and knitting. All of these things, like gaming, can be performed at home.
Affordability
Lastly, gaming is a very affordable hobby. In the past, gaming computers used a massive amount of energy, but with modern technology, this is no longer the case. Many hobbies require you to travel places to perform them, and with the rising cost of fuel, this can be very costly. Gaming does require one large initial investment, but once you have purchased a gaming laptop or a computer, there aren’t many other things that you need to pay for. You could even consider building your own gaming computer; building your own gaming computer can be an extremely effective way of saving money, although it can be very challenging.
Gaming can be very good for you, as this post demonstrates. If you want to take gaming up as a hobby, the most important thing for you to do is to carefully limit your screen time. As long as you limit screen time, you won’t suffer any ill effects from gaming.
I'm a published author and proud US Army veteran who happens to be a gamer, so I decided to combine the two and love every minute of it! Feel free to contact me with any questions or comments and I'll be sure to get back to you.
More Stories
Echoes of the Plum Grove Review for Steam
With My Past Review for Steam
My Little Pony: A Zephyr Heights Mystery Releases for PC and Consoles