A skeptical reader may ask, “What good can come from playing a game? How can it help you in real life?” According to distinguished neuroscientists, “ One of the more enduring findings about visual learning is that training on one visual task rarely leads to improvement on anything other than the specific trained task.(Green and Bavelier). So learning how to see a little red dot of an enemy across the playing field or knowing when to dodge a deadly obstacle by judging its distance and speed supposedly does not affect you in your day. But what sort of activities require abilities such as spatial-speed judgement and quick reaction time? Playing any sport with a ball requires these and even driving too. Video games can provide a boost to one’s mental and perceptual skills. In fact, after completing an experiment involving laparoscopic surgeons (surgeons who operate through a video camera insertion) and video games, scientists came to the conclusion that “Video game skill correlates with laparoscopic skills… Video games may be a practical teaching tool to help train surgeons.” (Rosser et al., 2007).
Video games have become one of the favorite activities for people all over the world. Adults play them, kids play them, teens play them, and even surgeons play them! While they seem like mindless, meaningless fun to some, video games can impact the lives of those who play them much more than they initially believe.
To examine the way video games affect the players, the question must be asked of what is required of the “gamer” to literally play the game. While there are variations of the methods of controlling the game, the hands are the catalyst to any action in the virtual world and the eyes are, obviously, the method of seeing it: eye-to-hand coordination is a necessity. Games require attention and thought among other things, but it is these requirements that affect the mind because it is a strenuous activity hidden within a fun and challenging environment.
Although we are all not laparoscopic surgeons, video games can be a tool used for good. They can sharpen our minds with their tough requirements and competition within the game. They can also help us immerse ourselves in a world different from our own to help us forget about the daily struggles of our busy lives.
Video Games and Your Mind: The Cognitive Effects of Gamin
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By Nicholas Munoz