Are you wondering what advantages can online video games have for young users? Check out these amazing online video gaming benefits for young players.
The popularity of video games peaked during the 1970s and 1980s. Currently, online video games have become a craze. You are mistaken if you think it is a favorite pastime among young adults and adults.
Today’s kids are as passionate about playing games online as their adult counterparts. A 2021 ESA (Entertainment Software Association) report states that 76% of individuals below 18 in the US are gamers.
As a parent, you may think that playing too many video games is marring your child’s physical, cognitive, and emotional development. If your kids are into video games, consider getting them a pair of gaming glasses to reduce eye strain and block harmful blue light.
And to give you some relief, here is some good news for you. Online games aren’t as bad as you think them to be. It comes with a whole lot of benefits.
How Do Online Video Games Benefit Young Players?
Are you one of those concerned parents who think what are the benefits of playing online video games? If yes, you need to know that online gaming can be a fun and rewarding experience that offers a variety of benefits for players of all ages (but young players can benefits a lot). It improves their concentration, helps multitasking, boosts social skills, and so on.
Let’s check some of the useful and amazing online video gaming benefits for young players:
Boosts Early Learning Skills for Younger Kids
Did you ever think that online video games would help your child’s learning skills? Well, there are many interesting educational video games in the market.
For example, the DragonBox is an engaging game for kids aged five and above. It teaches them algebra and geometry through over 100 challenging puzzles.
Duolingo ABC is another fun yet interactive game for preschoolers to second graders. It helps them learn the alphabet, sight words, vocabulary, phonics, and more.
Increases Concentration and Memorizing Skills
Immersive video games need a lot of strategies that require good problem-solving skills and sharp memory. When children play such games regularly, their short-term and long-term memory sharpens.
For example, SimCity is an interesting video game. Here players must anticipate all it takes for a city to evolve and plan accordingly. Hence, to meet the demand-supply challenges, sharp problem-solving skills are a mandate. In Scribblenauts, one must use critical reasoning to solve the problems the hero encounters on different levels.
An ABCD (Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development) study was conducted on 2217 children between 9 and 10 years of age. It showed that kids playing video games for 3 hours or more had greater cognitive development.
Another study was conducted by researchers at the Columbia Mailman School of Public Health on thousands of children in Europe aged between 6 and 11 years. The data was an outcome of the questionnaire completed by parents and teachers. It stated that regular gamers had a higher intellectual function by over 1.88 times than those who didn’t play games.
Improves Multitasking Abilities
Action video games need gamers to perform several tasks together. Therefore, children playing such games quite regularly would develop strong multi-tasking skills with time.
A study conducted by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) in 2021 has also shown the benefits of action video games in improving multi-tasking ability. Playing regular video games also aims towards better hand-eye coordination.
Boosts Teamwork and Enhances Socialization
Not all games are solo. Those requiring multiple players need the participants to play and collaborate in a team. One would be responsible for the other’s actions. Working in teams, taking collective responsibility for a win or a loss, and developing a sportsman spirit are prerequisites for healthy social development.
A 2021 NLM study analyzed how team video games work positively towards team building and improving social skills. To get a better insight into games apt for team-building skills, you can visit Battlelog.
Helps Build Resilience
Life is about challenges; learning to face adversities and recover from them quickly helps make a person resilient. It isn’t an exaggeration to say that video games help build resilience.
Many adventure video games come with challenges at each level. Through trial and error methods, gamers learn to overcome them. This helps deal with real-life situations in a better way. This is one of the most effective online video gaming benefits for young players.
Combines Learning with Fun
Educational video games teach kids many things, from language to maths and so on, yet the learning isn’t stressful; it is full of fun. Moreover, action and adventure games also have a deeper message. They impart lessons on cooperation, teamwork, and much more.
Just Dance, appropriate for 10-year-olds and above, is a dance video game that combines creativity, fun, innovation, and activity – helping kids enjoy and stay active simultaneously.
Helps in Mood Upliftment
We all have our stress and pressures. But, when it comes to kids, being a part of the rat race often robs them of their peace of mind.
Video games are not the only key to a better mood. But, studies show that those playing video games for at least an hour daily often were happier and more optimistic than the non-players.
Online Video Gaming Benefits for Young Players – Conclusion
The next time you see your children play video games, you won’t think they are wasting time. However, too much of anything isn’t good. Playing video games in moderation would surely be a fulfilling experience. (Image credit: Game Testing Services)
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