By: Anna Wang

Some people might think Video Games are time wasters, or bad for you. If this is you, think again. The truth is the opposite.

First of all,video games can provide physical activity, for example with VR. You are mostly moving, and even standing is better than sitting down. But there are benefits to other kinds of games as well.

Games can help with our hand to eye coordination. Hand to eye coordination requires people to both use the eye and hand to accomplish tasks. For example, riding a bike is hand eye coordination because you need to look at the road and steer at the same time. Research from the University of Toronto in 2014 found that people who play games regularly have better sensorimotor skills than those who don’t play video games.

The study included 18 gamers and 18 non-gamers; both groups had to perform a simple task on their screens that involved following green dots with the mouse. At first, there seemed to be no major differences between the two groups. However, as the test carried on and it got repetitive, the tests showed that gamers performed with more speed and more accuracy than non-gamers.

Games allow you to develop an ability to learn sensorimotor patterns and movements faster and more efficiently, which may help you with tasks in the physical world.”

Video games also improve great multitasking abilities. Many games force players to perform several tasks at the same time. For example, you have to look at the enemy on the screen, keep track of your health, weapons, and other stats, as well as move your character. You might also be speaking on a microphone with your teammates and friends.

More importantly, games can provide teamwork.

Some games such as Roblox, Team Fortress, League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike, Rocket League and several others. In a study conducted by Brigham Young University, teams that played video games together for 45 minutes performed up to 20% better than teams that were involved in other forms of team-building exercises.Team building is important because it helps you communicate better.

Finally, there is higher accuracy and faster completion of tasks.A study by James C Rosser from 2007 examined abdomen surgeon training and included young surgeons that play video games to see what effects gaming would have on their skill to perform surgeries and other medical tasks.

The study found that surgeons who played video games in the past or recently had 37% fewer errors and completed the task 27% faster than non-gamers. Their accuracy also improved with more playtime. The study found that even with more modest playing time, 3 hours a week, gamers performed better than non-gamers.

You might think it is bad for the eyes but actually if you rest your eyes you will not strain your eyes.

In conclusion, gaming can be a positive and beneficial experience, when played in moderation. To experience the positive effects of video games, it can be helpful to identify your motivation to play.