The Surprising Benefits of Gaming

A 2013 longitudinal study revealed that people who played strategic video games had better problem-solving skills which also correlated with improved grades in school.

Gamers are better at allocating attention

Dr. Daphne Beverly ran a functional MRI study into the mechanism that controls attentional allocation & this resulted in improved & efficient performance in people who play games.

Neuro-simulations showed that people who played video games were better at collecting visual & auditory stimuli to be able to make decisions more effectively & efficiently.

A study from the University of Montréal reveals this.

They split up adults between the ages of 55 and 75 into 3 groups.

Group 1 was trained on video games like Super Mario 64.

Group 2 had piano lessons.

Group 3 had nothing.

The study found that an increase in brain matter within the hippocampus was significant only in the gaming group.

A study from New Zealand used a specially designed game called Sparks to help teenagers dealing with depression.

They found that the remission rate was significantly higher in the Sparks arm, 43,7% than in the 'treatment as usual arm' 26,7.

Translation Teenagers who played video games were significantly more likely to have their depression cured.

CAVEATS

Playing video games excessively is probably bad for your social life.

Like any other excessive habit, dooh!

A 2017 UK study showed that a sample of 708 people who played Massively Multiplayer Online Games like World of Warcraft, found various psycho-social benefits like increased self-esteem and social competence.