Saturday, September 28, 2019

Get Useful Skills Cheaply by Playing Video Games

As a kid, my mother forbade video games since they aren't "educational", and therefore a complete waste of time. But did you know that that isn't even true, that you actually can benefit even from "time wasting" things like video games? Here's some more from a reader.


Video games have been a source of entertainment for decades, and they get better every year thanks to ever-evolving technology. However, did you know that these video games often help players develop different skills? Well, before we proceed, let's first do away with any thoughts you might have about a typical video gamer. You may be thinking that an average gamer is an adolescent boy, isolated away in a basement, controllers in his hand or moving a joystick for hours on end. But the fact is, a gamer can just be anyone! Anything else is a stereotype.


This also means that if you're a parent, you don't need to get pissed off whenever you see your kid playing video games. According to a study done by several researchers on specific games, it turns out some of them offer significant mental and developmental health benefits. As a parent, you might have some fun with penny slot machines while your kids are playing their video games. In case you were wondering, the following are some of the video games that help develop various skills.

Call of Duty – Enhances Visual Senses

In spite of the common belief that screens can cause problems for your eyes, video games can actually improve your vision. A study conducted in 2012 found out that gamers who have played Call of Duty can recognize faces much more comfortably. This is explained by the fact that first-person shooter games compel players to move their eyes quickly and track objects as well as react to impromptu events instantly.

And as a bonus, the nature of some missions requires a bit of critical thinking and teamwork in the case of multiplayer competitions. As a result, gamers also improve their skills in coordinating with a team and working toward the same goal.

Wii Sports - Improves Coordination

Wii Sports can also be very important in improving your general hand-eye coordination, especially if you are dealing with delicate objects. Previous research has shown that replacing a Wii remote for a mouse can save radiologists from the scourge of their profession. And now, a recent report has proven how Wii sports is essential for surgeons as well. According to another study done a while back showed that surgeons who played Wii Sports demonstrated improved hand-eye coordination necessary for the delicate laparoscopy operations. Who knew video games could help surgeons too?

Puzzle Games - Advances Cognitive Ability & Motor Skills

For kids, puzzles can enhance their ability to visualize as well as understand the whole-part relationship. Specific learning areas can also be improved by playing puzzle games like learning and recognizing colors, alphabets, shapes, and numbers. For adults, advance puzzles like sudoku and scrabble can improve general cognitive skills, vocabulary, research skills, and spelling.

Furthermore, puzzle games help in improving problem-solving skills. If you have ever tried playing Sudoku puzzle before, then you already know that it is not an easy game. As such, playing such games a couple of times will generally improve your problem-solving skills. Practice makes perfect!

See my disclaimer.