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Amanda Christopher

Eng 1201-203

Dr. Cassel

14 December 2019

The Positives of Video Games

Since sometime in the 1980s, video games have become a major form of entertainment

for all sorts of people. But with its rise in popularity, came all sorts of negative studies. Some

such studies include the possible increase in aggression to social withdrawal. It is kind of

frustrating constantly hearing such negative views on something that is a fun hobby for many

people. While learning about the possible negatives it is also important to learn about the

possible positives that can come with playing games as well. Despite the many negative views

aimed towards video games, there are also several positive effects that can improve mental,

physical and emotional health.

Video games can have quite a few benefits that come with playing them. One such

improvement that comes with playing different games is in how the brain functions. From hand

eye coordination to problem solving and even memory improvement, it has been shown that

video games offer development to the youth that play them. Looking at problem solving, it has

been shown that a child’s performance in school can be improved through playing strategic

games. “One study found students who regularly played strategic and role-playing games outside
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of school tended to earn better grades in school over time” (Bamford). Improvement in this area

is primarily seen through playing puzzle solving games as well as role-playing games. These

complex challenges that the games give encourage strategic thinking for those playing them.

And, as a player delves deeper into the games, the tasks and challenges given to them only seem

to grow in difficulty. But it would seem that only certain types of games improve upon problem

solving. “Youth who played strategic and role-playing video games more frequently reported

greater problem-solving skills over time than youth who played these games less frequently”

(Adachi and Willoughby, 203). These games are the ones that focus most on gathering

information and finding the correct option to fulfill their goal. This is what allows players to

explore the game through trial and error, relying on their own past experiences to take on the

next puzzle or challenge that they face.

That does not mean that other games do not have their own uses and improvements. First

person shooters, games often criticized for potentially expanding upon youth aggression, have

actually shown to improve upon hand-eye coordination. “Compared to control participants, those

in the shooter video game condition show faster and more accurate attention allocation, higher

spatial resolution in visual procession, and enhanced mental rotation abilities” (Granic et al, 68).

These games require not only a good aim in order to take down the target but they are also fast

paced and require a quick reaction speed. It has been noticed that the skills required to play these

shooter games can be seen to improve spatial tasks outside the video game. So those that play

games enhancing hand-eye coordination gain a benefit when performing jobs that require more

precision.
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Playing video games also improves upon not only memory compactly but also creativity.

The boost in memory can help students in school, giving them better performance and grades. It

becomes easier for those who play games to follow and remember instructions. This is thanks to

the quests and goals that a gamer receives throughout playing a game. Games themselves,

whether they be violent or not, can help with the creativity of the youth who play them.

Another big fear the comes with video gaming is how gamers withdraw from society,

becoming unsocial. But, in fact, gaming is not as solitary of an activity that is believed. Many

youth meet up, playing online with people of all sorts of different walks of life. “Online video

games might afford a unique opportunity for intergroup cooperation, which many positively

affect intergroup relations” (Adachi and Wiloughby, 204). This means that people of different

cultures, backgrounds and beliefs can interact together to a shared hobby. In fact many gain a

positive outlook of those from different cultures thanks to the same love of gaming that they

have. There are also co-op games, which allow local friends to meet up and game together. This

allows them to compete, laugh together and enjoy each other’s company thanks to their similar

interests in the games they play together.

These online games allow for teamwork to be built up between those who play together

on the same team. When people team up together to pursue victory together, a bond can be

formed between those of the team. “Cooperating willingly with individuals from other groups

may enhance feelings of autonomy as well as closeness and interdependence (relatedness) with

the outgroup partner” (Adachi and Willoughby, 204). The sense of cooperation that is built while

playing games can also be seen while interacting with groups during day to day life. They are

better able to interact with people during group projects and have a better sense of teamwork.

They learn to not only rely on their teammates but to also help with what they can. Teams can
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also be made up of people from different countries. They’re able to form favorable relations

between each other, which can help prevent bias amongst the youth that play.

Conceptual Map of the Main Genres of Video Games (With Examples) Organized According to Two Important Dimensions: Level

of Complexity and the Extent of Social Interaction Required (Granic et al)

Video games can also help build upon the relationship between parents and children.

Since there is still some worry over the fact that children exposed to violent games can be

influenced, a good way to counter this is for parents to play games together with their children

and observe just what they are being introduced to. “The American Academy of Pediatrics warns

against exposing children to virtual violence, and recommends that parents and children play
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video games together to encourage social interaction, learning and bonding” (Warnick). Trying

to understand the hobby of video gaming instead of completely rejecting it could help bring a

more solidified relationship and shows a desire to better understand what youths enjoy now. Of

course, that does not mean that every type of game has to be fully accepted. Some games can be

quite violent and it is up to the parents to decide just what type of game they want to introduce

their children to.

It is also seen that mental, physical and emotional health of the players can be improved

through games. One such way they help with the player is to relieve stress. In fact, a good

portion of people play games in order to escape from everyday life and relax a bit. Youth have

quite a limited free time thanks to school and it can be quite stressful. “A July study in JAMA

Pediatrics that followed teens over the course of four years found that video games were not

linked to depression” (Warnick). In fact, video games seem to even help with depression as well

as combating stress. There is, however, some worry about this as video games can lead to

addiction. In fact, this addiction problem has become so widespread that it has become an

official disorder. But outside problems should be noted when it comes to a gaming addiction.

There is a decent chance that the person suffering from this is trying to escape from day to day

life. Stress and other pent up emotions may have become too much, so they escaped into games.

So games are not entirely to blame and if they were not around, the one suffering could very well

use something else as an escape.

Another way gaming helps improve the emotional well being of a person is by giving

them a sense of pride. Choosing activities that catch their interest while playing and then

successfully accomplishing their goal, a player would naturally feel accomplished. They are able

to overcome the challenges that came their way and was able to achieve what they wanted. All
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games give a sense of accomplishment and pride so to narrow this broad range down, the focus

will be primarily on sports games. “Youth who play sports video games and have higher self-

esteem may feel more optimistic and confident about approaching new challenges” (Adachi and

Willoughby, 205). Playing these sports games will also give them knowledge about how sports

work, allowing them to formulate strategies and come up with their own ways to win. Being able

to use these strategies and pull off a victor would give the winner a sense of accomplishment,

they would feel proud about their well earned triumph.

It has also been observed that playing video games bring about positive emotions. A

sense of accomplishment and pride is just one of these emotions that a gamer may feel. And by

feeling these positive emotions, adolescents are able to perform better in real life thanks to them

forming a sense of commitment. “Positive emotions are thus the bedrock for wellbeing, crucial

not only as end states but as sources of inspiration and connectivity. If playing games simply

makes people happier, this seems to be a fundamental emotional benefit to consider” (Grani et al,

72). Not being dragged down by negative emotions, a person will be able to better thrive during

day to day life. They can build up motivation as well as relationships while pursuing their own

goals. Plus thanks to the trial and errors experienced in gaming, difficulties experienced while

pursuing these goals will not necessarily let that stop them.

This brings up the argument of whether or not video games boost aggression. Through

studies, it has been concluded that games help with positive emotions so does that mean they

also bring out negative emotions? “Published in Royal Society Open Science in February, the

study concluded that playing violent video games does not have a measurable effect on

aggressive behavior in real-life” (Warnick). Even so, it makes sense for people to continue to

worry thanks to the many studies that have proven the possible negative effects that can come
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with playing games. But not all games are violent, there are many different types of games.

Shooters and violent games are just a small part of the many games out there in this world. Plus,

games have ratings in order to prevent younger children to play games meant for adolescents or

youths. So if worried about the negatives of gaming, avoid these violent games and try to allow

children to instead play games marketed towards those younger.

Due to the mental focus that gaming causes, it can actually help players break away from

bad habits or distract them from pain. Many people have formed some types of bad habit over

the course of their life, an annoying habit that just will not go away. “One case study reported the

use of a handheld video game to stop an 8 year old boy picking at his face. The child had

neurodermatitis and scarring due to continual picking at his upper lip. Previous treatments had

failed so the boy was given a handheld video game to keep his hands occupied. After two weeks

the affected area had healed” (Griffith). This is proof that gaming can help put an end to

unfavorable habits that would otherwise not go away.

Games can also help when it comes to handling and escaping from pain as they can help

bring attention away from discomfort. “Controlled studies using both randomized controlled

trials and comparison with a patient’s own baseline measures show that video games can provide

cognitive distraction for children during chemotherapy for cancer and treatment for sickle cell

disease” (Griffiths). Those who are suffering from pain, illness or other such discomforts can

find a way to get away, if only for a bit, through gaming. But that is not all games can do when it

comes to the health of gamers. Gaming can even help with improving arm movement and hand

strength, which can help with injuries in these areas. It can become a type of therapy to help

those recovering.
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Unlike common belief, video games can also be a physical activity of sorts. Some games

require movement from the players, such as Wii games with the Wii remote. This is especially

the case for certain sports games that require mimicking movements from real life sports. There

are also mobile game apps that require walking around in order to advance, such as Pokémon

Go. “Playing sports video games was linked to vigorous physical activity, suggesting that

participants who play these games more frequently may be more intrinsically interested in being

physically active than those who played them less frequently” (Adachi and Willoughby, 204).

This means that youths can be inspired to try out different sports thanks to the games that they

have played. So children who would otherwise be uninterested in playing active sports could

develop an interest.

The last major positive effect of gaming is the exploration of oneself. Games come in a

vast variety with all sorts of interests and possibilities. “In one study, players experienced more

intrinsic motivation and well-being if the game fostered congruence between their ideal self and

their game self” (Adachi and Willoughby, 203). From sports to fantasy to shooters to online,

there are many differences that can allow a player to explore their curiosities. They can find what

they are interested in and find out more about themselves.

In conclusion, there are many positives that come with gaming while the negatives that

come with gaming seem to have been magnified. Playing games can, in fact, help in all sorts of

different ways. The way the brain functions can be improved through gaming, giving a boost to

the players memorization and whatnot. Social interactions, through online games and teamwork,

can become improved as well through gaming. And a gamers mental, emotional and physical

health can be improved through gaming.

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Works Cited

Adachi, Paul J. C., and Teena Willoughby. “The Link Between Playing Video Games and Positive Youth

Outcomes.” Child Development Perspectives, vol. 11, no. 3, Sept. 2017, pp. 202–206.

EBSCOhost, doi:10.1111/cdep.12232.

Bamford, Art. “3 positive effects of gaming.” Fuller Youth Institute.

https://fulleryouthinstitute.org/blog/3-positive-effects-of-gaming. Accessed 12 November 2019.

Granic, Isabela. “The Benefits of Playing Video Games.” American Psychological Association.

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-a0034857.pdf.

Griffiths, Mark. “Video Games and Health.” BMJ Publishing Group Ltd, 16 July 2005,

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC558687/.

Warnick, Aaron. “Video Games and Health: Sorting Science from Popular Beliefs - Many Believe Games

Cause Gun Violence.” The Nation's Health, American Public Health Association, 1 Oct. 2019,

http://thenationshealth.aphapublications.org/content/49/8/1.2.