Playing games is a cross-generational thing, everybody plays, from kids to seniors. 1 billion people play mobile games globally! Still, there is this idea that playing games is some kind of waste of time. Shouldn’t we do rather something more productive? Let me tell you why not.
Games are fun and source of positive emotions.
Games help us tap into positive emotions, like curiosity, optimism, creativity. You enjoy it just for the sake of enjoying. These emotions stay up hours after we play! Unless someone beats your high-score, of course..
Winning games makes you (feel) heroic.
Playing games bring people together, it is the competition among peers that adds adrenaline. After a success in a game, we are more likely to set an ambitious goal for ourselves, even outside of gaming. Basically, games can turn your superpowers on. Try yourself!
Games are yoga for your mind.
Playing games is like yoga for your mind (may be perfect for the inflexible part of population). Every time you let go, you play really well. Wanting and over-stressing makes you a bad gamer. Apply that learning from games anywhere else and you’ll see.
Games can slow down aging.
Ladies, throw away all anti-wrinkle stuff, all you need is to do more games. Actually, it does not do anything with wrinkles, but.. 2 hours of puzzle games per week may slow down the degree of mental decay that comes with aging, says Huffington post. Good enough!
Games can even make you a better surgeon.
Some people need a lot of effort to coordinate eye and hand movement, you can observe this especially in fast-paced games. Great gamers have this skill very advanced, almost automated and very quick reflexes. Not only can this help while driving, but it is also a good practice for future a surgeons. No kidding, here is a study that shows how gamers outperformed medical residents in virtual surgery.
For me, playing is not an escape from some important work. It all is about the feeling you get, the joy of an epic win or spontaneous scream when your new high-score is one point lower than your friends. And there are some side benefits too, remember?
So just play, not because it’s good for you, but because it’s fun. That’s more than enough.
This text was previously published on my Linkedin profile.
