Sudoku and crosswords may have been the games that kept the brain sharp, but these days, video games seem to have taken over. Video games are emerging as surprisingly effective workouts for our brains. The world today needs us to think fast, and what better way to keep our brains in tip-top shape than an engrossing gaming session?
Research shows that we get many benefits from the games we play, from problem-solving to creativity and spatial reasoning. As it turns out, video games are “not just us having fun” – our brains need them. Here are reasons to play video games if you need convincing.
Your Memory and Attention Get Better
One thing gaming will do for you is improve your memory. No matter what game it is, you often need to keep some aspect of it in mind to further your progress. Games that need little strategy can be the best at mental workouts. Playing bingo online is one way to improve your cognitive skills. With bingo, players have to keep track of several numbers at a time and check for patterns on their cards.
The quick decisions you have to make as the game goes on help your brain develop skills that benefit you in everyday activities. Games with more action, such as “Overwatch” or “Call of Duty,” also enhance your attention span. They put you in environments where you have to react to various stimuli and do it quickly. Your visual attention and ability to switch between tasks improves if you enjoy video games.
The Fast-Paced Action Will Improve Your Problem Solving
Video games may have become cryptic and almost impossible to beat, but the simpler ones come with the most benefit. Puzzle and strategy games are great for enhancing your critical thinking.
The strategy that goes into an open-world game like “Far Cry” or the mazes you have to navigate on “Portal” help us get better at making decisions fast. In addition, games like these also help us analyze situations better and adapt much quicker to our surroundings. This is translated to real-life scenarios as our brains get used to quickly processing information when we find ourselves in tough situations.
Your Spatial Reasoning and Creativity will Get a Boost
Part of the reason video games are so much fun is because they are so challenging. Our brains need this. Figuring out how to beat that boss that keeps stopping you at the end of a level needs you to rack your brain and get creative about how you play the game.
It does not stop at the game worlds we explore in different video games. The mental skills we put into practice as we play improve our spatial reasoning, which is of the utmost importance in interpreting the world around us. From navigating to gauging the distance from an object, our spatial awareness is something we apply in everyday life and one we would do well to improve.
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More Than Just Harmless Fun
You are never too old to enjoy some playtime. Games can help us relax and escape the hustle and bustle of everyday life. It’s little wonder why we’ve always managed to find ways to entertain ourselves with a game of some kind all through history.
The mind always devises a way to keep itself in shape. Besides the mental health benefits, games are a mood booster if you need a hit of dopamine. Overall, it is clear that games offer more than just the fun of beating bad guys and solving puzzles.
