According to scientific studies playing video games can alleviate pain, because they absorb our attention to the point of making us forget the passage of time and also the physical and psychic ally. This was shown by one Study on the victims of burns and from other studies on chronic diseases. The researchers found a reduction in pain from 30% to 50%. The pleasure of the game creates a powerful distraction and triggers the release of endorphins with painkillers.
THE Serious Gamegames similar to drugs, have evolved in recent years until they become full therapeutic tools. Some may encourage recovery after a stroke (Medimoov), help people with Alzheimer’s (X-Torp) or even from Parkinson’s (Toap Run).
Mental games useful for training the brain
The brain training program of Dr. Kawashima provides for training with some video games require that they force to work on memory and concentration, skills that are easily exhausted. It is a matter of solving puzzles or challenges as quickly as possible. A few years ago, the scientific community agreed on the fact that these games were not useful. Recently, studies have shown benefits for the memory of children with cancer or for the ability of elderly people to manage daily activities, how to guide. This is what researchers from the University of Iowa (United States) have tested, in particular, with a game called Road Tour. A group of players over the age of 50 was to identify cars and road signals in an increasingly complex environment. According to the results of the study, playing 2 hours a week would already have a positive impact on cognitive functions.
Simulation or war games reduce stress
They are called Terraria, Minecraft, The Sims and these video games catapults us into a world away from reality, where we can disconnect ourselves from all our concerns. The immersion is much more powerful than with a book or film because you are active. The simulation games, in which we create and enrich a world, called “sandbox“, They are particularly interesting for well -being. For example, during Lockdown people played a lot to Animal Crossing Because he had a reassuring atmosphere. We were anchored to a time span, with repetitive tasks, with the concept of control and with the idea that everything always goes as expected, is reassuring. Surprisingly, even war games like call of Duty or Battlefield They fall into the “anti -stress” category, allow you to let off steam, channel and outsource your impulses.
To slow down brain aging better to play platform games
Super Mario, Inside, Ori and the Black Forest, known to all video games enthusiasts, consist in overcoming levels with a avatar. Super Mario, in particular, is one of the best -selling games of all time. A team German studied his impact on 23 years of 25 years, for a 30 -minute game time a day, for 2 months. Result: a magnetic resonance imaging showed an increase in gray cells In the areas of the brain responsible for memory, spatial navigation, organization and motor skills of the hand. The increase in gray matter helps to maintain connections between neurons over time and fight brain aging.
The benefits of the shooter games? Improve the vision and the reflections
Titanfall, Valrant, also called FPS (First Person Shooter), games defined as “shooter” are no longer as criticized as a few years ago. They have been shown that they absolutely do not generate violence among the players. Researchers from the University of Rochester (United States) have, on the contrary, highlighted positive effects on reflections and views. To the commands, our character risks being attacked from each side and at any time, which requires to look very quickly in several points at the same time and to grasp the minimum variations in the environment. The researchers noticed that the players were particularly skilled in identifying small changes of light. This apparently insignificant quality is very useful for driving at night.
To improve your adaptation skills: strategy games
Starcraft, Age of empires, year, RTS games (real -time strategy) require players to manage resources, develop bases and defend themselves from enemies. Two British universities studied the impact of a specific game time, 40 hours in two months, or five hours a week, on people who should have played Starcraft or Sims, a play of type sandbox.
Those who chose Starcraft showed better adaptation skills in the psychological tests conducted after two months. Even if video games do not have an impact on the real world, the skills that are acquired, in particular adaptation and speed in making decisions, are widely transferable in everyday life.