Do you know why it is good to play computer games? Most people believe that learning is more short-term and more successful when the student is also having fun. And what is more fun than computer games? It is true that excessive playing of computer games can have negative consequences, but moderate use can have many great effects for the player. Perhaps surprisingly, but supported by scientific evidence, computer games increase brain capacity and keep mental functions vital. How do computer games succeed where many teachers fail?
7 reasons why it is good to play computer games:
1. Failure is the key to success
Everyone who has ever really succeeded has a series of failed attempts behind them. Failure is important - as JK Rowling, who went through as many as 12 rejections before finally finding a publisher willing to publish Harry Potter, Van Gogh, who sold a single painting in his lifetime, or Jordan, who refused to admit him to the school's basketball league. Computer games teach the player that failure is part of the journey, without which progress and, consequently, victory would be utopian.
2. Problem solving is a skill
Computer games teach the user that problem solving is a skill. And like any skill, it can be learned and perfected. Computer games such as Call of Duty require active problem solving, critical thinking and mental flexibility from the player.
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3. The brain needs its daily training
Just like the body, our mind needs daily exercise. This can be in the form of reading literature, solving crossword puzzles or playing video games. And the last choice is certainly the most fun.
4. Gamers solve visual tasks better
Research has shown that people who play computer games are better at finding objects, filtering out irrelevant information, detecting visual changes, and solving tasks involving 3D problems compared to those who don't.
5. Playing computer games speeds up data processing
Computer games often require users to process given information quickly and make a quick decision based on it. Many studies have confirmed that gamers have improved reaction time, and not only in tasks that directly mimic tasks in computer games. Even more surprising is the fact that they speed up reaction time without being more sloppy in performing the task.
6. Improved memory
Neurobiologists from the University of California found that playing 3D computer games improves memory. Subjects who played 3D games for half an hour every day for two weeks improved their memory by 12 %.
7. More efficient multitasking at the same time
Studies suggest that computer game players can concentrate more easily and multitask more effectively. A 2013 study looked at how playing 3D games improved multitasking among test subjects aged 20 to 70. It turned out that people who were over 60 years old and played computer games performed much better in the tasks than 20-year-olds who did not play games.
