College is a time for learning, experimenting new ideas and philosophies, meeting new people, understanding who you are, and wasting an absurd amount of time. Napping, eating, socializing, and video games can go a long way in consuming crazy amounts of this time.
Video games are fun. This makes it very easy to engage in playing them for hours. But if you don’t agree that they are fun , then you have to admit that they are at least entertaining. I like to play multiplayer action games like Super Smash Bros,Mortal Combat, and even the occasional COD. What do these games have in common? They involve friends gathering around to do their best to embarrass each other. It creates a comfortable environment where everyone involved participates in busting each other’s balls. These games drive eager attempts to reclaim (in my case claim) the glory of winning. These games that I have mentioned are action packed and better for your mental health than you think.
The real benefits are not the social ones. That’s right, with all the negative criticism of video gamers spending too much time in virtual worlds, there proves to be more positive side affects than previously thought.
Action packed games actually provide positive effects after playing
It is a common notion that staring at a screen damages eyesight. When it comes to action packed video games, this statement is false. Of course if you play for five hours everyday there will surely be negative effects on sight. Daphne Bavelier is a brain scientist that focuses on how the brain works. Her studies found that people who play video games actually have better vision on average then non-gamers. Attention to detail is enhanced as well. This may seem odd at first. How can staring at a bright screen with more action going on than you can handle possibly help your sight? The eyes of gamers are trained to focus on detail in the game. With so much going on at once, their ability to focus in on the vital information helps towards better sight.
Many have thought that those who play video games are more easily distracted . This is also false. It’s been found that gamers have a better tracking ability and attention span when playing a healthy amount of action games.
What this means is that there are positive effects from video game play without the user ever knowing. I think video gamers are an untapped resource for improving mental health and promoting creativity. Everyone can benefit from playing interactive games that are fun and have no visible purpose in improving cognitive abilities.
This is definitely encouraging considering how much time college students play Xbox and other platforms. Ok, I’m going to go play drunk driving Mario Cart now.
R U Nation 