POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 1

The Positive Effects of Playing Video Games

William Gutermuth

Early College High School @ Delaware State University

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 2

The Positive Effects of Playing Video Games

Video games are fun, electronic games that have become more and more popular in the

past decades. With their increasing popularity, science has become interested in the effect on

gamers minds from playing video games. Video games have been proven to have many positive

benefits, among which include improved cognitive function, social benefits, and educational and

therapeutic uses.

A number of studies have shown that playing video games, most notably and specifically

rapid action first person shooters dubbed, the sort of fast-paced, 3D shoot-em-up beloved of

doomsayers in the media (Griffiths, 2014)- such as Call of Duty can improve ones

perception and cognition. This can allow players to distinguish patterns and different shades of

color. Mark Griffiths, the Director of the International Gaming Research Unit and Professor of

Gambling Studies at Nottingham Trent University, has said that, ...players show improved

performance in perception, attention, and cognition." (Griffiths, 2014) Gamers have an easier

time differentiating between different levels of gray, which helps the eyes see fine differences in

contrast. This is beneficial as it, in effect, slows the aging of the eyes and brain because ones

ability to see contrast in colors is one of the first things to deteriorate as people age. In addition,

they often have better eyesight than those who do not game which allows them to read smaller

writing and see finer details. Action video games have also been shown to improve a players

attention to detail and focus. The medical news site MedicalNewsToday (Nichols, 2017)

summarized the Frontiers in Human Neurosciences review of over 115 studies on the effect of

gaming on gamers and concluded that, The studies included in the [Frontiers] review show that

video game players display improvements in several types of attention, including sustained

attention and selective attention. In addition, she found that, according to the review, gamers
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 3

have an easier time focusing on demanding tasks, saying, the regions of the brain that play a

role in attention are more efficient in gamers compared with non-gamers, and they require less

activation to stay focused on demanding tasks. (Nichols, 2017) The scientist in the studies,

when looking as MRIs of gamers brains compared to non-gamers, also found that gamers had a

significant increase in gray matter in the brain in areas associated with memory, strategic

planning, and attention. The increase in gray matter proves that there is a positive, and lasting,

effect on gamers brains.

Gamers have been stereotyped to be seen as being antisocial basement dwellers,

however, there is a magnitude of research that shows that video games actually bring a social

benefit to their players. Studies on the online interactions players have in-game and the

connectivity of friends that game systems like Xbox provide with their parties or other forms of

voice chat have found that players gain a social benefit. Players constantly meet new people

when playing online, specifically when playing Massively Multiply Online (MMO), talking to

them through in-game chat and voice channels and often have conversations with the people they

talk to. Because online video gaming is popular worldwide, players meet people of other cultures

and backgrounds online. According to research done by the International Gaming Research Unit,

MMORPGs can be extremely social games, with high percentages of gamers making life-long

friends and partners. (Cole & Griffiths, 2007) I personally have made friends with gamers that

live in the UK, even though I am in the US, and we have talked about things that are happening

around us and about what it's like on the other side of the world. Also, gamers can connect with

local friends, or long lost friends, through gaming and chat anytime. Because I am a military

child, I have taken advantage of this benefit on Xbox to stay in touch with my friends when they

or I move and no longer see each other. Also, according to Professor Marc Griffiths, Video
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 4

games have an appeal that crosses many demographic boundaries, such as age, gender, ethnicity,

or educational attainment. (Griffiths, 2014) Not only do games bring a social benefit to players,

but they have also proven to relieve stress and can act as a therapeutic tool. Because video

games can be so engaging, they can also be used therapeutically, Professor Griffiths explains.

(Griffiths, 2014) As a teen experiences the difficult social setting that middle or high school

brings on and all the stress that comes with it, it is important and constructive for them to be able

to have an escape. It is especially constructive if that escape does not completely isolate them,

which is where the social aspect of gaming comes in. However, the therapeutic and social uses of

gaming are not just beneficial to teens, there have been many studies looking into video games

use as a therapeutic treatment to treat anxiety and PTSD. Two long wars have left nearly a half

a million veterans suffering from PTSD. For many of them, gaming offers a unique form of

support, distraction, and even treatment, explains Jake Offenhartz for Complex. (Offenhartz,

2016) Iraq war veteran Rob Gibson agrees, saying, I'd say that video games have really been

kind of the only switch off for me (Offenhartz, 2016)

It has been proven that people learn better when they are interested and/or excited about a

topic. According to an article by MedicalNewsToday called Playing video games may 'enhance

learning, In a learning test, people who play video games performed better than those who

don't, and their brains appeared to be more active in regions linked to learning and memory.

(Paddock, 2017) Video games bring excitement to learn into a learning environment. In addition,

students are often more interested when they are playing an interactive, educational game as

opposed to listening to lectures and filling out paperwork for a grade. This sentiment in the

Washington Post article Playing video games is good for your brain, explaining, in an

educational context, video games can be fun and stimulating, which means its easier to maintain
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 5

a pupils undivided attention for a longer period of time. Because of the excitement, video games

may also be a more appealing way of learning than traditional methods for some. (Griffiths,

2014) Many educational games have been developed for all different subjects and levels of

education. Be it kindergarten, middle school, or college, there is always a fun interactive way to

learn and understand better, and video games that can be downloaded have made it easy to bring

that greater learning experience into classrooms all over the world. I personally was saved by an

educational video game when I was young. I was not a very good student at first and I struggled

with reading and math. After going through two tutors unsuccessfully, my parents tried a last

ditch effort when the purchased an educational video game called "JumpStart Adventures 3rd

Grade: Mystery Mountain." It brought me up to a level in reading and math that made me

confident enough that I was not dumb that I was able to once again learn in the classroom. As

mentioned earlier, gamers brains have more activity in areas linked to memory. (Paddock, 2017)

That finding has helped to prove that not only are gamers better at learning and educational video

games are better at teaching, but gamers and players of educational video games also are able to

retain the information they learn for longer and with easy compared to non-gamers. the

[MRI] scans also showed notable brain differences between gamers and non-gamers. For

example, the gamers showed stronger activity in the hippocampus and other brain areas that are

important for semantic memory, visual imagery, and cognitive control. (Paddock, 2017) This

makes scene because if you think about school education, the most interesting teachers are the

classes in which students learn the most and retain the most knowledge after the class.

A number of studies and a considerable amount of research have shown there is a

magnitude of positive benefits that video games provide to gamers and people in general. Most

recent and significant, video games have been proven to have many positive benefits, among
POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 6

which include improved cognitive function, social benefits, and educational and therapeutic uses.

These benefits, of course, can only be put to use if gamers get out into the world and show them

off. So, we should take note of the advantages playing video games bring us and also remember

the great gift we have of the world around us. Maybe video games and the connectivity they

bring to us will make our world a better place.

POSITIVE EFFECTS OF PLAYING VIDEO GAMES 7

References
AsapSCIENCE. (2014, January 19). Can Video Games Make You Smarter? YouTube. From
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOsqkQytHOs
Cole, H., & Griffiths, M. D. (2007). Social Interactions in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing
Gamers. CyberPsychology & Behavior, 10, 1. From https://doi.org/10.1089/cpb.2007.9988
Griffiths, M. (2014, November 11). Playing video games is good for your brain. Retrieved November,
2017 from The Washington Post:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/posteverything/wp/2014/11/11/playing-video-games-is-good-
for-your-brain/?utm_term=.2da137a2fb49
Nichols, H. (2017, July 10). How video games affect the brain. Retrieved November, 2017 from
MedicalNewsToday: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318345.php
Offenhartz, J. (2016, November 11). How Video Games Are Helping Young Veterans Cope. Retrieved
November, 2017 from Complex: http://www.complex.com/life/2016/11/veterans-day-millennials-
video-games-ptsd
Paddock, C. (2017, October 3). Playing video games may 'enahance learning'. Retrieved November, 2017
from MedicalNewsToday: https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319614.php?sr