Video Games and Your Brain

The Truth

Many of us have probably heard the saying video games rot your brain, however that couldn’t be further from the truth. Ironically they (As in the naysayers of any generation) said that books were doing the same thing back in the early 20th century.

The irony is that video games can increase spatial awareness, hand eye coordination (I know that I wouldn’t be nearly as coordinated with my Body Pillar if it wasn’t for games), focus control, and much much more. There is even some studies that conclude video games can literally increase your intelligence. Really any activity can do so if done in proper training format, but most gamers are so dedicated to their games that they are practically training, or in the case of E-Sports they are LITERALLY training.

Now the point to make here is that games are good for your life, and no they do not negatively impact your emotions. Some say that video games can make someone act out what they play, but that couldn’t be further from the truth, and in fact they often times are a stress reliever. Meaning they take away people’s negative emotions, and instill a calm mindset. Now if you keep getting headshot on the newest Call of Duty, and you throw your controller that may suck, but its not true anger.

Immersive Living

All in all, let us all agree that video games are good for you at this point, but what does that matter to you? Perhaps you don’t want to spend a whole bunch of money on a new console and TV/Monitor. Luckily top of the line gaming is starting to come to consoles with the new PS4 Pro and Xbox One X in particular. Now luckily mobile phones have even gotten more powerful, and I remember at one point I installed Resident Evil 4 on my mobile device (I had to go through multiple hoops to download it however since it wasn’t made available anymore!). Honestly with consoles getting cheaper around holidays, and PC building really not being heavily difficult (just need to learn basics from YouTube, and make sure you have sufficient cooling!), you can really start to make gaming a big impact on your life.

There is lots to enjoy, from immersion in a new world like Skyrim Special Edition, to being able to create whatever you want in games like Minecraft.

The possibilities are endless, and you can experience some truly amazing situations with interactive video games. With Virtual Reality on the horizon there is nothing we cannot do!

Please note I am a gamer from a young age, with respect to most parties in the industry, despite being an Xbox Fan, and PC Enthusiast. This post is directed differently than most of mine, but I took Medium (now ghost) as the place to host my personal blog, which can include whatever I think I can write well. I hope you enjoyed this post, and let me know if you want more!

• Dustin, The PolyInnovator Gamer