For a very long time, action video games were a taboo, because adult people thought they have a negative effect on children and young adults. But, a lot of studies and researches showed that these games can have a lot of benefits, no matter the age of those who play it. In the past, these games were associated with violence and social behavior issues, and no one could see the positive effects that they provide.
Here in this article, we will try to mention most of the benefits that action games can provide. Some of them will surprise you, but most of them are absolutely expected and normal.
1. Better decision making
Video games can affect our decision making because it requires solving of a lot perceptual and attentional tasks during the play. You need to know that even though you think you play mechanically and robotically, your brain works finding the best solution for the task, so you can win the game and get higher scores. You won’t see this benefit immediately, but in a few years, you will be better at decision making than before. The games help your brain to stay active and while playing, you train it and improve your learning skills.
2. Faster processing in your brain
In a critical game, you need to make quick and good decisions, but also to think faster, so you can come to these solutions. This benefit is closely related to the first one. Your brain can absorb the information about the game and strategy and help you process them faster, so you can come up with the best solution for the current task. Previously, people believed that action games make your brain lazy and reduce brain activity, but since then, a lot of studies showed that you can process better while playing and improve your reflex reactions.
3. Improved critical thinking
People who often play these games know that they need to be ready for an attack from every side. So, they need to come up with a protection strategy. Do you need to believe everyone in your team? Who will attack you next? How to hide? What can you do to reach better scores and win? Thanks to this benefit, a lot of people learned that they can’t do everything alone and they really need a little help. When you recognize that you need help to pass some levels or get higher scores, you can join some of the best teams, or even sign up for services like Flawless Carry Pros who will help you and play for you. Critical thinking helps you to finally realize that you can’t do everything alone and not every teammate will work the best with you.
4. Better coordination between hands and eyes
Your visual capabilities will help you see better the details that may cost you winning or losing the game. But that also requires exceptional coordination between your eyes and hands, so you can react at the same moment. It’s a fact that a lot of people have poor coordination, so these games may help them improve the action-and-reaction skills.
5. Better socializing
When a child plays video games a lot, the first thing parents think of is social distancing and isolation. But, the gaming world is one big society, and people communicate regularly every day. When someone plays a game with a friend or with a virtual team, they improve their social skills. Just compare that to you and your coworkers. You are talking passionately about your profession. It’s the same. They have a mutual topic and they communicate and talk about it. We know it’s hard to understand, but it’s the same as with every other aspect of life.
6. You are prepared for a real-life teamwork
When you join a game group and create a team, you are practicing how to work with different people for a mutual goal. Team works are important to your life because you will have them every day and you will need to work with a lot of different people. When young people play online action games together, they are making a good winning strategy. That’s the same as a real-life team at work, right?
7. Setting goals is an easy task
We all have goals and work hard to reach them. But, how do you set a realistic goal that is possible to get to? Do you need to go big, or split the final goal into a few smaller ones, so it would be easier for you to reach it step by step? Action game players know that they need to win, but also that they have a lot of levels, stages, and chapters to pass, so they can get to the final spot. That is why these people are good at making strategies and setting effective goals, and also at “fighting” and working hard to reach them.
8. Action games lead to better health?
It’s weird, but it’s true. Every game affects the brain and motor development. The difference is in the effectiveness. People play games to relieve stress and anxiety. And, as we know, a life without stress is generally happy life. When we are not stressed and anxious, we are healthier, because our hormones are balanced and don’t affect our bodies. A lot of hospitals let their parents play games, so they can improve their motor skills and check the speed of reactions. Some clinics also allow their terminal patients to play video games so they can decrease the stress level and help the body accept the treatment better.
Playing action games surely has a lot of disadvantages too, because many people, especially kids and teenagers lose precious time playing the game and forgetting about the school tasks. Adult people are aware that they need to stop at some point, go out, hang with friends, and spend time with their partner and families. That is why the parents need to be careful about the time their children spend on games or encourage them to play some educational games instead of actions.
