Positive Impacts of Video Games on Individuals

This essay explores the positive impacts of video games on individuals, including improved mental cognition, physical fitness, and helpful behavior. It argues that the negative effects of video games have been overemphasized, overshadowing the benefits they can provide. The essay discusses research that shows how video games can improve attention, spatial cognition, and visual-spatial skills. It also highlights the role of video games in promoting pro-social behavior and enhancing physical fitness. The essay concludes that video games have positive effects on individuals and that the bias against violent games has obscured their benefits.

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Introduction
It is evident in the researches of eminent authors that violent video games might negatively
impact the individual’s frame of mind and that are the reason behind the outcomes like
enhancement of antisocial behavior. This has been the reason behind a stir in the government and
many strict laws have also been imposed on the organizations dealing in video games. However,
this essay will also argue that because of the emphasized attention on the ill-effects of video
games and the social outcomes of the violent games, the positive impacts of playing video games
have simply been overlooked by the larger section of the society. High level of bias against the
violence displayed in the video games has been exhibited in order to enhance the awareness
against video games. Such biasness has been cause of over shadowing the positive impacts of the
video games as well as their benefits.
Discussion
In spite of the repetitive pondering against the violence displayed against video games,
researchers like Dalisay et al. (2015) demonstrate that nowadays, research have been broadened
to analyze the possible good impacts of video games. Studies have recently demonstrated that
videogames have a very good impact in helping to improve the possible positive benefits which
have never been considered in the previous research. For evidence, the discussion in this context
can be concentrated to map the enhancement of positive behavioural aspects generated as an
outcome of video games being played. Studies conducted by DeCamp and Ferguson (2017),
shows that pro-social video games have had video games to help in generation of prime pro-
social ideas. As an outcome of this, a person would be emphasized on to behave under the
influence of the pro-social behavior. Studies conducted by Ma, Jain and Anderson (2014), shows

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that the participants had been tested under analogous conditions. As an outcome of the studies, it
was evident that there had been people playing pro-social games like FIFA 19 or Battlegrounds.
O’Donnell (2018), had conducted another survey that established the findings of the positive
video game priming effect. The difference concerning this impact was that violent video games
could be used to exhibit that playing violent games is potent enough as prime positive concepts,
for evidence engagement in positively valenced playful fighting. This has been evident by means
of completion of the lexical decision of the participant after playing either a violent or a neutral
game.
There is a general tendency of exaggerating aggressive behavior as well as aggressive cognitive
thoughts, developed through playing of pro-social games. Another important factor that could
have had variable effects had not been taken in to consideration. One such factor is violence in
the home environment. All sorts of opposing studies like those exhibiting positive benefits and
not supporting moral panic claim had highly criticized the outcomes caused because of general
ignorance of the ancillary factors that plays a great role in the context of influencing the external
attitude of the video game players.
Video games apart from being a prominent means of simple pleasure and relaxation also serves
greater an audiovisual medium helps individuals boost their hand-eye coordination. It requires
the player to have a sound understanding of when and how to coordinate the eye movements
along with hand movements to recognize objects, plan the action and finally when to attack
(Gabbiadini & Greitemeyer, 2017). Thus videogames are great ways to overcome cognitive
barriers by enhancing the reception and recognition of stimulation among individuals. Therefore
video gamehelps improve visual attention skills. It not only broadens the creative horizons of the
gamers but it also aids in sharpening exclusive problem solving skills among the players(Granic,

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Lobel& Engels,2014). Video games players need to be quick in their thinking, extremely sharp
in strategizing and always and on their feet. Videogames like The Incredible Machine, Cut the
Rope helps sharpen brains in especially in kids and altogether train them to solve puzzles and
problems in a much creative manner.
Thus, videogames can be regarded as a fun and learning tool for kids, which is
undoubtedly engaging, entertaining as well as educational. In video games, where the player
needs to develop city and all of a sudden an enemy emerges, the player needs to be very flexible
and well equipped to change his/her tactics quite easily. According to cognitive researcher,
Daphne Bavalier videogames are very helpful in sharpening the skills of multitasking in
individuals. It makes individuals resourceful enough (Eichenbaum, Bavelier&Green,2014).
Videogames are considered such a strong and effective learning tool that it is often
used to train soldiers to improve their instincts and situational awareness quotient. It
trains soldiers and army man to make quick decisions without compromising on the
level of accuracy.
Improves physical fitness and incorporates varied other health care benefits:
Though it is often believed that popularity of videogames has interfered with the
routine of youths involving in realphysical activity yet the scenario has largely changed with
the invention of technologies like Xbox Kinects, PlayStation Eye Toy and varied such other new
and innovative gaming technology. Research data reveals how children have largely reduced
their Basal Mass Index almost up to 8% just by playing Wii or have reduced 50% of their body
fat by playing on PlayStation eye toy (Johnsen, et al. 2014). Thus it can be rightfully regarded
that videogames can be constructively used in curing obesity in growing children.It is often
believed that half of the diseases are cured in the way it is treated and apprehended mentally. The

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health care industry is significantly working on this area where videogames are employed in a
very constructive manner to treat massive diseases like diabetes, cancer or to treat burn victims
(Ma,Jain & Anderson, 2014). Specially designed games are tailor made for each and every
medical condition to particularly help children understand the disease, and device ways of
dealing with the issues. For instance the Snow World is a game specially meant for the burn
victims. It tends to influence the psyche of a person who is inflicted with the pain making
him/her feel the cold taking away the attention from the continuous burning sensation. Such is
the impact of technology more precisely of video games in helping individuals build a happy and
healthy life apart from being a great source of entertainment as well.
Playing video games have shown various cognitive benefits which includes
visualspatialcognition. It has been analyzed that playing video games helps a particular
individual to increase the level of attention, spatial cognition and also helps in mental cognition.
These are some of the positive benefits of playing video games (Green & Bavelier, 2015). These
positive benefits such as improved mental rotation, improved attentions help the particular
individual playing video games to focus on various objects. It helps the individuals to recognize
the objects at a faster rate and more accurately. As per the analysis, it has been identified that
there are students in the schools who are unable to pay attention in the class. For these students,
playing video games will improve the attention span, which in turn will be beneficial for them to
keep maintaining there focus on class. It will help the individuals to cope up with the trouble to
focusing in the class. The ability to play video games helps them to overcome various forms of
phobia such as the fear of height (Granic, Lobel & Engels, 2014). There are theories such as
ideomotor effect which proves that the brain’s coding ability connects with the movement,
observation of the movements and imagination of the movement. These cognitive benefits are

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developed on playing video games. As per the research and analysis, the violent video games
also increase visuospatial cognition. The non violent games have minimal effects on the positive
benefits.
Conclusion
Therefore, from the above analysis and research it can be concluded that the video games
both violent and non violent have benefits over the human beings. It has been determined that
playing video games improve the individual’s physical health. There has been various bias
regarding violent games causing negative effects on a human body. However, these are
exaggerated. There are positive effects of playing both violent and non violent games. The
biasness over violent games has covered the positive effects of playing video games. Research
provides evidence that there are possible positive effects on the behavior of the individual and
for their development and betterment. It has been analyzed that video games helps the individual
to improve the visuospatial cognition, helpful behavior and it also increases physical fitness.
Several experiments have taken place to ensure the positive results of playing video games. It has
been analyzed that playing video games has a positive effects and the prosocial video games
have a priming effect. Further, the essay has identified the cognitive benefits of playing the video
games. It has been analyzed that there are various video games upon playing which, helps the
particular individual to improve the attention, mental rotation and improved attention. It helps
the individuals to recognize the objects and its movements accurately and quickly. The
individuals having trouble focusing on at the schools are also benefitted upon playing video
games as it helps them to concentrate and focus. It can also help to overcome the limitations of

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cognitive abilities of particular individuals. The research has shown that positive benefits have
come to light while overcoming the biasness previously.
Reference List
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play and the social capital and civic potential of video games. New Media & Society,
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DeCamp, W., & Ferguson, C. J. (2017). The impact of degree of exposure to violent video
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Eichenbaum, A., Bavelier, D., & Green, C. S. (2014). Video games: Play that can do serious
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Gabbiadini, A., & Greitemeyer, T. (2017). Uncovering the association between strategy video
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Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2015). Action video game training for cognitive
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Johnsen, K., Ahn, S. J., Moore, J., Brown, S., Robertson, T. P., Marable, A., &Basu, A. (2014).
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Marchand, A., & Hennig-Thurau, T. (2013). Value creation in the video game industry: Industry
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Knowledge Games: How Playing Games Can Solve Problems, Create Insight, and Make
Change.

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West, G. L., Konishi, K., & Bohbot, V. D. (2017). Video games and hippocampus-dependent
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Reference List