Everyone who’s into it knows that gaming can be a lot of fun. But did you know that it can also have profound effects on your brain and how it’s structured?
In this post, we explore the effects that gaming can have on your brain. Historically, a lot of commentators talked about it negatively. But it turns out that gaming is mostly harmless and it could actually be helpful in some situations.
So, why is gaming such a good idea?
Improves Vision And Reaction Times
According to research, the average reaction time of the average person is falling over the decades. We’re simply not responding as quickly to our environment as we used to, on the whole.
Part of this comes down to our safe and sedentary lifestyles. Most people just don’t need to react quickly. However, some of it could be genetic as well.
The good news is that gaming may actually improve reaction times. PNAS studies show that gamers detect changes in their environment more quickly, reducing their reaction times by 200 milliseconds in most games, which is around 25% faster than baseline.
The researchers then speculate the benefits that gaming might bring in the real world. For example, it could improve driving and sports.
Encourages Persistence And A Growth Mindset
Furthermore, gaming is something that encourages persistence and a growth mindset. Many games are surprisingly hard to beat, even in today’s dopamine-dependent culture. As such, gamers who want to win need to really keep trying.
The Dark Souls series is perhaps the ultimate example of this. Almost no one is able to clear the game’s bosses on the first try because of the sheer difficulty level. It always takes multiple rounds.
Sharpens Multitasking
What about multitasking? Can gaming help with that, too?
The answer is a firm “yes.” It turns out that many open-world games actually require users to multi-task. These titles demand that players pursue multiple objectives at the same time.
What’s more, researchers have found that players who spend a lot of time in these games actually multitask better. They’re able to be around 15% more accurate at completing tasks simultaneously, showing that they are able to dedicate cognitive resources to both.
Promotes Neuroplasticity
Another perk of gaming is that it tends to make people more neuroplastic. This is the idea that the mind is something that can be reshaped by outside forces as an adaptation mechanism, helping with things like learning and personal progress.
Games like solitaire are great for this because they require users to plan and strategize. They demand that they use a bunch of cognitive skills that wouldn’t normally get activated in regular daily life.
Studies show that adults who game more than 10 hours a week slow cognitive decline. Gaming appears to reduce brain aging significantly, allowing it to remain adaptable, regardless of what life throws at it.
Reduces Stress And Anxiety
Interestingly, there’s also some evidence that gaming reduces people’s stress and anxiety. Logging on the computer and enjoying a good title seems to be a way to encourage and promote a form of digital mindfulness.
When you scan someone’s brain while they play games, it seems to lower their cortisol by a significant amount. After just a few minutes, they feel so much more relaxed and better able to take on the challenges of the world.
Many researchers now believe that gaming is a form of mood regulation. People who get it right are much better able to deal with the things that come up at work or in their relationships.
What’s more, this relaxation effect seems to persist after the gaming session itself. That means that a morning bout of Fornite can provide benefits that last all day.
Builds Social Connections
Then there’s the fact that gaming is a great way to build social connections with people. Many players find that it is their main social outlet and allows them to connect with other people like themselves.
There’s a trope that’s going around that gamers are loners who just sit in front of their computers and don’t talk to anyone. But this isn’t entirely true. The reality is that a lot of us are simply making friends online who we enjoy gaming together with.
Improves Decision-Making
Another benefit of gaming is that it may improve decision-making. Games often force players to make quick and difficult choices under pressure and even uncertainty. When you think about it, this mirrors a lot of what happens in life. Many people have to make snap decisions about their work and their futures, often making decisions in ways they’d never expect.
When you have to deal with these situations in games, it makes it far easier to combat them in real life. Games provide the neural frameworks for making these tough choices and following through.
The main activity of games seems to be on the prefrontal cortex. This is the executive decision-making part of the brain.
Better Attention And Focus
Gaming also boosts attention and focus for obvious reasons. People who play games have to concentrate intensely for extended periods in order to win. They can’t take time out.
Interestingly, gamers appear to have longer sustained attention capacity than non-gamers. The effect is relatively small, around 15%, but it is definitely there. Gamers have a capacity to reduce the impact of distractions in their environment and simply focus on things around them that really matter.
Boosts Spatial Skills
Finally, gaming is something that can boost spatial skills significantly. People who game a lot are better able to master their environments in real life, simply because of the demands of navigating 3D online worlds.
For example, some researchers believe that Minecraft strengthens various connections in the hippocampus. This region of the brain is responsible for mapping out the environment and helping you to remember it. If you can practice with three-dimensional shapes in Minecraft, then you’re preparing yourself for almost anything the real world can throw at you.
So there you have it: how gaming changes your brain for the better.
