Kids are not the only ones Gaming
Video game playing isn’t just for kids anymore. The average Gen-Xer comes from a childhood full of playing the Atari, Classic Nintendo, and at Arcades. Though many parents now express frustration with their children that can’t seem to take their eyes off their Smartphones or Nintendo Switch, the majority of those same parents are also playing their own video games. A lot of times, the concern they show in public is merely a disguise they wear to not look bad in front of their friends. But how does this affect the brains of those playing?
Gaming Effects on the Brain and in Life
From MMORPGs to single player games, the options are limitless on what anyone would want to play. Smartphones have apps that include games from farming to clan fighting, to simulation. Then there are games on PC, consoles, tablets, and the way that technology is evolving, anyone can play and even have the option of participating in a virtual reality experience. War games and strategy games tend to increase a person’s blood pressure when things don’t go according to plan. Yes, it’s just a game. However, even the most docile individual will find themselves chewing their nails when a game doesn’t go exactly as they expected.
The vast majority of people in the United States have some type of experience with gaming on some level. Though one might think most parents would be inclined to have a negative opinion of gaming, the truth is that many parents find themselves using gaming as a form of teaching with their children. There are websites dedicated to teaching children as young as two years old. Gaming has been found to affect attention, and not in the way many would think. Focus increases, and the areas of the brain that play a role in attention are more efficient in gamers compared to non-gamers. (medicalnewstoday.com)
Not only does gaming affect attention, it also has the ability to change the structure of the brain. In some gamers, it has been found that the right hippocampus was enlarged. This part of the brain is responsible for collecting and consolidating information from short-term memory and spatial memory that enables navigation. Anyone that has played a video game can understand the importance of navigation if they are playing a strategy game.
Logic and problem solving are also affected by gaming. This is why so many parents have lowered their guard on allowing their children, young and older, to use video games as a tool for teaching. Take Angry Birds as an example. Though it may be played by anyone of any age, children may learn and develop problem solving techniques by playing.
Some other added bonuses are improved memory, math and reading skills, accuracy, estimating skills, etc. (raisesmartkid.com) Gaming is not for everyone, but those that do game will find that they may have an advantage over those that do not is certain areas of life. Technology is growing at an incredible pace. Gaming allows those that are playing the opportunity to learn to adapt to change. What may be the newest and greatest today will be outdated tomorrow.
One topic that many don’t take into consideration when it comes to those that game is communication. Not all gamers are introverts, but it may be difficult for some gamers to converse with others in the “real world”. Gaming offers them an avenue to create friendships and cultivate communication skills through the game. Though one should never share their personal information with someone they’ve only known online, friendships developed through gaming are known to become very important to some.
It would be unfair to list all of the positive affects gaming has on the brain without taking into consideration the negative. There are a few negative things that gaming does to the brain. Children that play violent video games are thought by some to be more likely to have aggressive thoughts and behaviors. The worry is that gaming is desensitizing children. In the 80s and 90s a gamer could and would spend hours on games such as Super Mario, Street Fighter, Mortal Kombat, etc. In the 2010s, kids are begging their parents to let them play games such as Five Nights at Freddy’s, Fortnite, God of War, and Call of Duty. The dynamics have changed dramatically.
In the End
Yes, gaming most certainly does affect the brain, but it’s mostly a positive effect. There are opportunities for learning, improving communication skills and life skills. Young children are able to play games with the supervision of their parents to develop skills from math and reading to logic and strategy. Not only is the brain affected physiologically, but it may even be affected biologically as well with the expansion of the hippocampus.
Sources:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318345.php