What if playing video games could increase your abilities? A recent study by the prestigious Max Planck Institute and the Charité University Medicine St. Hedwig-Krankenhaus shows that playing video games has a positive impact on spatial orientation, memory formation, strategy development and motor skills, among other things.
The researchers asked adults to play the famous Nintendo game Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day for two months. To ensure the validity of the results, a control group did not play. Throughout the study, they used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to measure the participants’ brain volume.
What did they find? The grey matter of the players increased compared to that of the control group. This effect was seen in certain areas of the brain: the right hippocampus, the prefrontal cortex and the cerebellum. These areas are involved in spatial navigation, memory formation, strategy formation, and cause the improvement of hand motor skills. Other studies, on classic games or video games, corroborate these results. Indeed, games such as board games, games of chance such as real money online casino in Canada, puzzles, role-playing games and so on, have the same benefits, which we invite you to discover in this article.
Benefits on the brain
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Video games to feel good
Video games make you happier. Everything is done to stimulate the production of dopamine, the happiness hormone: the sounds, the colours and the rewards for each success. A study conducted in New Zealand has even shown that video games can help you get out of depression!
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Video games for learning
Video games can help dyslexics to read better and dyscalculics to count better. Indeed, action games develop attention and concentration. Not to mention serious games, whose purpose is precisely to learn new skills! These games are increasingly used in companies to educate and train employees.
- Play to become more intelligent
Video games make you smarter. Strategy games, such as Starcraft, require players to be very flexible and to make quick decisions, while having to process a lot of information. This is exactly the kind of profile you need for jobs where you have to process a lot of information and make decisions quickly.
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Improved concentration
Video games develop concentration and memorization skills, in often stressful contexts where every second counts! The more the memory is stimulated, the better it retains information. The same goes for concentration: the more you concentrate, the easier it is to stay focused on a task for a long time. These are useful assets in both personal and professional life.
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Video games stimulate our brain
Video games promote commitment and motivation. The mechanics of video games are designed to stimulate players over the long term and video games are increasingly moving out of the entertainment sphere and into school curricula or companies with digital learning.
What is the impact of video games on behaviour?
Sociability: multiplayer video games develop sociability. When playing online, you often have to communicate and cooperate with other players. This is a valuable asset when you have to work in a team.
Autonomy and independence: video games require you to solve problems, develop strategies or make quick decisions, and help develop a sense of autonomy, independence and self-confidence.
Reducing stress: finally, because games such as video games and slot machines which are very popular in India allow players to take a break and unwind, they help reduce stress. After a hard day, players shouldn’t feel guilty if they play for a few hours: if you’re stressed or upset, it’s not pleasant for them or those around.
In conclusion, playing adapted games and video games regularly and responsibly has beneficial effects at all stages of life: in developing children, adolescents, adults and even the elderly, as it slows the process of positive decline.
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