Anyone who grew up in the 80s or 90s, when arcades and home consoles were seen as an absolute waste of time that was going to destroy a generation of youth is at least a little surprised to see that there are now Fortnite schools where parents are sending their kids to improve their gameplay.
Gaming was seen as a timesink at best, and a catalyst for the destruction of society at worst. In reality, gaming can be a great tool for learning all sorts of skills, not to mention just relaxing and taking your mind off things.
Like anything, it can be healthy in moderation and it can also become an addiction that causes problems in life. As long as you’re staying on top of things that matter, it’s really nobody else’s business what you do with your free time if it isn’t getting in the way of homework, chores, physical activity, reading, and other useful pastimes.
Despite the fear-mongering that many of us have grown up with, here are some reasons that playing videogames are actually good for you.
5. Problem-Solving
The benefits you’ll get from gaming really depends on the type of game you’re playing. Solving puzzles in games can help with learning problem-solving skills, and we’ve all played plenty of games that can help us learn patience and determination.
The Demons/Dark Souls franchise comes to mind when talking about learning patience from a game, not to mention the incredibly rewarding feeling you get from accomplishing something that’s been a challenge.
4. Escapism
Escaping from reality can be incredibly useful sometimes. It becomes a problem when you’re constantly escaping into a game, especially if you have a pretty solid life. If you’re going through a tough time, having a game world to get lost in can be important.
Whether you love to grind out an intense dungeon crawler one level at a time like Path of Exile, get lost in a realistic and immersive fantasy world like Skyrim, or enable some cheats like invincibility or slow motion so you can run around and do whatever you want – gaming gives you a sense of control over your experience.
3. Social & Meeting People
Games were originally thought of as an anti-social experience when you would be locked up in the basement for hours and hours alone. Then we saw the N64 rise, where you could have a handful of friends all playing together, sitting together on the floor, there’s just no way to argue this isn’t a social experience. Now, playing together in person is less popular again, due to the rise of online gaming, but you’re still making friends and talking to new people so that counts for something.
2. Learning Teamwork
Teamwork is one of the most important skillsets to develop for life. You’re always going to have to work with all sorts of people, and being able to get the job done and share a common goal is a very useful skill to have.
You’re not going to like everyone, and some people will rub you the wrong way, but being able to look past that to work towards something will help you greatly in your career, and frankly all throughout life.
1. Fun
What’s the deal with everyone wanting to act like fun isn’t important, anyway? You don’t need a better reason to play videogames than simply having some fun, what’s wrong with that? It’s good to enjoy yourself and have fun, it helps reduce stress, and time off will help stop you from getting too burnt out on work or school.
