7 Reasons Why Video Games Are a Beneficial Hobby
7 Reasons Why Video Games Are a Beneficial Hobby
Hobbies are important for our mental and physical health. When you engage your mind and body in an activity you enjoy, it can benefit your well-being in many ways, depending on the type of activity.
Video games as a hobby often carry a stigma. Avid gamers may be considered lazy or antisocial. However, as long as you aren’t addicted to playing video games and avoiding other important activities, it can be a very beneficial hobby.
Let’s look at seven reasons why gaming can actually be great for your mental, social, and even physical well-being.
Table of contents
Problem Solving
A great video game challenges the player to solve problems. Some games use puzzles in an adventure setting to push players to find solutions that aren’t immediately obvious, such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild. Other titles require collaboration and teamwork to complete a mission, forcing players to assess obstacles and find ways to overcome them.
This is a great mental exercise. This is why many libraries and educational programs incorporate video games into their learning programs. Problem-solving also exercises a part of the brain that needs maintenance to slow the effects of mental decline as we age.
Cooperation
As mentioned above, video games also require significant teamwork. Multiplayer games allow players to connect online and work together. Through cooperation, they can build entire worlds, develop civilizations, defeat challenging enemies, and explore fictional universes.
Learning how to work as a team is an important life skill. It teaches communication, role clarity, and goal-setting. All these valuable skills can be used to succeed in gaming challenges, as well as in a career or a relationship.
Competition
A little healthy competition never hurt anyone. Many titles involve direct competition with other players, from first-person shooters to sports-related games. Anticipating opponents’ moves and working together to overcome an adversary are common features of esports, making them ideal for learning environments.
Competition also pushes players to practice and improve themselves, which is a vital lesson for real life. There is no way to cheat and get ahead in most circumstances, so working hard to improve is the best way to grow.
Strong Relationships
The strength of a relationship built through online gaming may surprise many non-gamers. Playing online with the same people repeatedly can naturally lead to a true friendship, even if those players are from different countries and cultural backgrounds.
Working together to accomplish a common goal can be the foundation of a strong relationship. There are stories of grown adults meeting their gamer friends for the first time and becoming fast friends, though they had never met while playing.
Minimal Risks
Some hobbies can be dangerous, such as rock climbing, weight lifting, or exploring the wilderness via hiking or backpacking. There are inherent risks in some of these activities that could put your health at risk.
Compared to other hobbies, video games are relatively safe. However, it is important to understand some of the dangers of online gaming, which can lead to traumatic experiences. For example, there have been multiple lawsuits involving Roblox safety litigation due to minors being exploited by sexual predators. Safeguards can prevent most of these incidents, but gaming is generally not a health risk unless you overdo it.
Ongoing Entertainment
Some hobbies are a bit fleeting. They may provide excitement for a short time, but certain limitations can make them grow stale or inaccessible. Video games are both affordable and long-lasting. Even one title can lead to days, weeks, or years worth of gameplay, especially if there are multiplayer modes.
Also, the elements of discovery, problem-solving, creativity, and narrative make video games engaging more than movies, TV shows, and other forms of entertainment. You are consuming the experience as much as you are making it. If you ever get bored with a game, you can just get a new one or wait for a sequel.
Dexterity
Video games also have physical health benefits. Whether you play on PC, PlayStation, Xbox, or Switch, manipulating controls and reacting to events on-screen requires dexterity and hand-eye coordination. While it is not the same as playing a physical sport, avid gamers can become extremely dexterous.
Through practice and repetition, a gamer can develop better motor skills. This makes it a useful activity for players of all ages, including young children whose bodies are developing and older adults who are experiencing physical decline.
In Moderation, Gaming as a Hobby Can Be a Net Benefit
Being in front of a screen is always a concern for physical health. If you spend hours upon hours every day enjoying your favorite titles, then this hobby is not going to be great for your well-being. However, a few hours a week can provide numerous benefits, from increased dexterity to learning important life skills like cooperation and problem-solving.
Gaming is a unique hobby because of the creativity, improvisation, and storytelling involved. Players are consuming and controlling the environment they are in within the game’s world. When done the right way, playing video games can benefit your physical, mental, and social health.
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