Time Well Spent - Gaming as a Brain Booster

Video games have proven to be addictive and often result in children and adults alike isolating themselves to a room where they remain "plugged in" for hours on end, having little to no contact with the outside world, or reality for that matter.

The isolating effect that the video game takeover has on a person can be damaging to his social life and cause him to lose touch with reality. The addiction factor can be heavily damaging as well. Intense gamers have been known to lose their jobs because they can't seem to get out of the video rocker and put the controller down.

There are even instances of gamers dying after intense gaming sessions that lasted days at a time. But these are extreme cases. It isn't fair to say that playing video games is dangerous or hazardous to one's health. In fact, let's give gaming the benefit of the doubt and explore the benefits. Surely, there must be some.

For one thing, video games have become a multimedia art form. Players become "experts," earning bragging rights for levels passed, goods acquired, and competitors outlasted. Becoming an expert takes practice, and what's wrong with that? Does a pro chess player put in less practice time than a pro gamer?

Another benefit to gaming is the impact it has on one's eye-to-hand coordination. Players must manipulate through the game via the use of a game controller. This often requires intense focus by the gamer and quick reflexes.

Furthermore, studies have shown that repeated video game playing results in people's ability to keep their heart rates calm during an emergency. Even NASA has proposed the use of video games to condition their pilots to remain calm during tense situations.

And you may think that your kid is lazy when he spends all that time in his video game chair, controller in hand. However, all that time he's spending in this fantasy world is teaching him to keep his attention focused for long periods of time, which may be a great treatment for attention deficit disorder.

Video games may reinforce the faster beta brain waves, resulting in more controlled impulses and improved concentration. In short, anything can be overdone, and video gaming is no exception. However, taken in moderation, gaming may prove to sharpen your mind, increase your concentration, lower your heart rate, and may even make you a gaming master.