Gaming and Intellect

Some people think you waste time by gaming. Well, let's look at the research and see how it affects you intellectually. They might be wrong. 

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First of all, plenty of games require intellect to even finish. Legend of Zelda has logic and critical thinking puzzles riddled through it, with some side quests that open hidden areas. Try to tell me that this game doesn't need a thinking brain and you will be lying. The same points can be made for Nancy Drew Herinteractive games, any game with logic puzzles, and the interactive ds game novels of Hotel Dusk and Last Window. 

Another point to make here is that it requires the ability to multitask to fight in games. Many enemies coming toward you at once takes the thought to move and hit the right combos, especially in Scott Pilgrim Vs The World. It is not easy to play to the point of the last boss. I am only on level 2. There are no checkpoints in level - only at the beginning and end of each level. It is incredibly frustrating to die at Lucas Lee's hands and have to start over.

                                                        Responsible Adult Gaming

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With this topic, I need to say that adulting comes first. Do not neglect adult or student responsibilities to game in your room for hours. That is called obsession. You need to control that. Also, our eyes need a break from screens and it can be a health hazard to game day and night at a constant pace. Please exercise. Please take mental breaks for snacks and water. I care about you, readers. Take care of your eyes and body. 

Sometimes responsible leisure time means taking a break from a game for two weeks until you can make sure you have a handle on life's necessary tasks. I've had to do that before. Obsession is not healthy. Frustration also creates muddled thoughts, so if you get too frustrated back off the game for a day or so to avoid distressing yourself and your family and roommates (by cussing, screaming....etc). Keep stress levels low. It makes a difference in how you play (and clear minds beat games faster and kill Toon Link, in my case, less).

When it has become an obsession it will get in the way of your family, friendships, relationships, and adult tasks. Addiction is a point where someone else has to help you, but keep yourself in check. Anything can become an addiction. This is not exclusive to gaming. If you see that you are not in balance with leisure and adult tasks take the opportunity to take responsibility. Police this yourself. Be the responsible adult I know you are, especially if you have kids. You model good gaming and behavior for your offspring. Your kids do not need to hear you cussing out video game characters out of frustration. 

I have heard of fall-back hobbies and agree with the concept wholeheartedly. Ready Player One makes a point that you shouldn't live in a fantasy world your whole life. We shouldn't be staring at screens for days on end. We need sunlight, people, basic nutrition, and exercise. Fall-back hobbies are any pastimes that don't include gaming, such as creating art, sports, writing, etc... These make it possible to engage your brain without too much screen time. Keep this in mind if you are easily bored. Branch out into other hobbies if you need more stimulation. This will also help you control obsessions over gaming (no guarantees on anything else, though).

Gaming Makes You Smarter

If you are of the older generation you probably have your doubts about this. I don't. I have the research to prove that gaming helps your brain. Should you still feel that a game is negatively impacting someone you know please get them help. Anything can be an addiction (for reference), so please make sure you actually understand what is going on as much as you possibly can. That said, the research below is how games positively impact gamers. The video below explains the actual gaming addiction disorder. Listen to it before you decide your friend or relative is in danger.

Action video games are proven to improve attentional control, which is paying attention to specific things. Spatial awareness is also improved when compared to nongamers. Response times are also faster in gamers, and they anticipated the event that was happening. Action games also improve memory and tasks that use memory retention. Gamers are primed to be sensitive to visual cues and remember more accurately. 3D video games boost memory forming and improve hand-eye coordination and reaction times. Strategy games help older people avoid Dementia and Alzheimers. Games train your brain to expand memory capacity. Strategy games also make grades improve in school, which involves problem-solving skills. Gaming also sparks creativity in a way that doesn't correlate with the internet and technology or the game content.

But wait, there's more!

Extensive gaming has some benefits, which is creating complexities in your brain that allow you to multitask. You become more efficient. Extensive is not addictive - do not make that mistake. Action gamers make faster decisions, and gamers in general have long and short term decisions made faster. Gamers also have higher IQs, in general, because they game for the intellectual stimulation that school or work doesn't give them. Video games actually seek out intelligent people.

All this evidence is proof of improved brain activity. It is still important to remember that gamers are usually nerds and geeks, and these people are usually high in intelligence. We gamers want more stimulation in our entertainment. If someone is bored with an average activity that is a sign of intelligence (especially if they demonstrate that they can do it in less time than their classmates). This is why we need the challenge of a game. In some ways it seeks out the intelligent and improves their brain function simultaneously.

Game Content Matters

I play a variety of games - from Nintendogs to Legend of Zelda to Nancy Drew - and I'm sure other gamers do, too. Some days you want to play with bunnies and watch them do tricks. Other days you want to play an action game. Sometimes you feel like replaying your favorite mystery games. Does content matter? Let's talk about it.

The game categories include strategy, action, first person shooter, stimulation, sports, puzzle, and RPG (role playing games). All of them are different in nature. a Petz game is not the same as a James Bond shooter game when it comes to skills. The list below is the short version of what I researched. 

Strategy - involves flexibility, decision making, fast analysis, managing limited resources, logic

improves working memory and reasoning

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shooter games - involves hand-eye coordination, fast thinking and decisions, quick reactions

improves spatial navigation, reasoning, memory, perception

downside- might be too violent for some people 

stimulation - mimics real world, includes decision making and managing resources

puzzle - involves patterns, logic, time pressured decisions

often played on tablets and phones out of boredom and while waiting for something

sports- fast paced, requires hand-eye coordination, fast analysis and decisions

action - problem solving, fast paced decisions, linear and nonlinear plotlines

improves problem solving, strategic thinking, teamwork, creativity

RPG - involves creativity, decision making, fast analysis and decisions, ability to think ahead

improves reasoning and logic, creativity

Closing Thoughts

Guess what? People make money off of gaming! Esports is the competitive gaming competition that makes it possible to game for a living. Also, doing game walkthroughs on youtube can make you some money, as well. Teams will work together to beat another team (which builds communication skills and empathy, as well as community support). They show these competitions live. Schools can actually do this, too, so this isn't just for adults. Basically, gaming is not for the bums in the basement - it can be beneficial to your brain. The video below will explain what you should consider in competitive gaming.

Sources:

https://www.healthygamer.gg/video-games-make-you-smarter-backed-up-by-research/#:~:text=A%20study%20conducted%20at%20the,Legends)%20and%20high%20intelligence%20levels.&text=The%20first%20group%20found%20that,strategy%20games%2

https://www.raisesmartkid.com/6-to-10-years-old/5-articles/57-what-video-games-are-good-for-the-brain

https://www.techlearning.com/how-to/what-is-esports-and-how-does-it-work-in-education#:~:text=Esports%2C%20or%20Electronic%20Sports%2C%20is,used%20for%20communication%20between%20gamers.