Is gaming good for your mental health ?
This is a question that haunts parents: what are the impacts of video games on their children? ? The video game world is now an integral part of the lives of young people and adults. Games play a major role in everyone’s daily life, given their accessibility on cell phones or on consoles and PCs. Find out just how good the games really are good or bad for gamers’ mental health.
Video games vs. casino games: categorize by age group and player
The first important point is to sort out the entertainment. Whether it’s consoles or online casino games. Just because one person A is having a good time in such a title does not mean that another person B will automatically do the same.
For example, it is strongly recommended that you do not offer games that mix violence and sex to teenagers or young adults. This could have a particularly negative impact on their mental health.
In December 2012, a 20-year-old man named Adam Lanza, allegedly shot 20 children, 6 adults and murdered his mother in Connecticut, USA, after playing the famous game Grand Theft Auto.
The same is true for games in the “horror” or “survival horror” category where you have to fight against paranormal phenomena. There are some people who tolerate these games, and others who do not. This kind of game would increase nervousness, anxiety and stress in people.
These people would simply be afraid of everything and anything if they tried these games.
A question of excess
As the saying goes, “too much is bad. This also applies to exhilarating entertainment on consoles or in casinos. If you spend too much time on it, it will have negative consequences It can have a negative impact on your perception of the outside world. You can even immerse yourself in the game while you sleep.
Over time, this excess can become an addiction for some people. This is, among others, the case of online casino games. If you spend a few hours a week playing, it’s okay. But a few hours a day, you are at high risk of developing an addiction.
It can impair your ability to reason and make irrational decisions.
Video games: a source of well-being
So, do video games really have a bad influence on your mental health? ? The answer is no. Remember the main purpose of video games: entertainment. It’s a leisure activity designed for players to relax, have a good time and be entertained.
Video games are an excellent way to to get a well-being and to evacuate the stress. After a hard day’s work, sit back in your living room, turn on your console and enjoy your favorite games.
The current boom in online gaming also allows gamers to socialize with other enthusiasts. The gaming community is much larger than you might think, and this world allows young, old, boys and girls to share their common passion: games.
An excellent way to develop cognitive abilities
Much more than a simple entertainment, video games would have the power to develop the cognitive abilities and reflexes of players. In fact, even games that are considered to be “hardcore” contain sequences where you have to solve riddles, mazes and other puzzles that require your brainpower.
These small difficulties allow you to develop your brain. Moreover, without realizing it, the mere fact of challenging a boss, looking for his weak points and aiming at the right place, are challenges that sharpen your reflexes, your capacity of analysis and reasoning.
The games that optimize your cognitive resources the most are the strategy games. The ones that call on your reflexes the most are the platform games like Super Mario. Finally, the games that require your precision the most are shooting games (without aiming assistance, of course).
Games for therapeutic treatments
And the Benefits of video games for mental health do not stop at these points. In fact, hospitals treating children with cancer have developed a video game-based treatment to help young children deal with their cancer.
These games are used, above all, to help patients to be entertained, but above all, to give them moral support in their fight against the disease. Studies in Spain confirmed that teenagers undergoing chemotherapy treatment were more resistant to pain when they played video games.
What about online casino games? ?
Online casino games are not as dangerous as many people make them out to be. Indeed, it is true that these games can lead to a much more severe addiction than classic video games. This is largely due to the fact that money is involved.
In this case, it is not the game itself that should be incriminated, but the game itselfgambler’s greed.
On the contrary, this type of game is designed to entertain, and sharpen your sense of money management. Over time, you learn to set limits, take moderate risks and better manage your winnings.
In order to avoid falling into addiction, it is strongly advised to limit your deposits in online gaming platforms. Only invest with a small amount of money that you are willing to lose. Don’t spend all your time on it either. For example, avoid installing games in your smartphone.
So you can only play at home in front of your computer.
In conclusion, games are, overall, good for your mental health. In addition to sharpening our reflexes, our cognitive abilities and our sense of judgment and reasoning, they can be a great moral support in difficult times. Video games are, above all, designed to entertain, relax and have a good time.
There is no need to overdo it to the point of creating additional stress. The important thing is to decide which game is right for you, depending on your age and character. That’s all there is to it, and may everyone enjoy their favorite video games in moderation.