National Video Game Day 2021: 12 Health Benefits And Effects You Get From Gaming

National Video Game Day, which falls on July 8 each year, celebrates the virtual world that game developers have created. Although they are primarily used for recreational purposes, video games have also been used for teaching both children and adults alike.

On National Video Game Day 2021, check out the health benefits that one can get from playing video games, courtesy of Mental Floss, Geico, and the American Psychological Association:

Video games can make you more persistent

Video games offer players the option to start all over again when they lose. This feature allows them to learn from their mistakes and make better choices until they reach the end of the game, thus helping them become more determined and goal-oriented.

Gamers may have better social skills

Contrary to what most people may think, gamers actually have improved social skills due to the connections they are able to make online. Games have also been found to be the main catalyst for online friends to gather in person.

Games help you become a better problem solver

Video games offer perfect avenues to strengthening problem-solving skills and thinking on one's feet. In a 2013 study, researchers found that children who played strategy-based games showed improved skills in problem-solving -- a trait associated with having better grades in school.

Video games increase the brain's gray matter

Although video games entail sitting on a couch or chair for a number of hours, they still serve as a sort of workout for the brain. This is because playing video games increases gray matter in the brain. Gray matter is associated with memory, perception, muscle control and spatial navigation.

Video games have mental health benefits

Playing video games has been found to elevate mood and improve the heart's rhythm. This effect helps relieve stress, which is why video games have also been used in therapy.

Games help improve vision

In a study on 10 male students, findings showed that those who played video games were able to see objects more clearly in cluttered spaces compared to those who did not. This is because gamers have improved spatial resolution.

Video games help ease the pain

Playing video games is known to produce an analgesic (pain-killing) response in the body's cortical systems, according to Mental Floss. In addition to its biological effects, video games also offer a good way to distract the brain by providing the person something else to focus on.

Playing video games improves decision-making skills

Gamers are able to process information faster in general. Due to the fast-paced setting in video games, they are skilled in adapting quickly. In fact, players who are immersed in fast-paced games are, on average, 25% faster in reacting to questions compared to non-players.

They are a good way to get tricked into learning

Video games have been found to improve reading and math skills, as well as offer knowledge in different subjects such as cooking, chemistry, politics and architecture.

Video games can curb cravings

When players are preoccupied with the game they are playing, they tend to avoid overeating and giving in to their cravings, according to Mental Floss.

Gamers are less likely to bully

Since players are exposed to different roles in video games (e.g., hero and villain), they are more likely to show remorse over their actions, thus being less likely to engage in bullying in real life.

Video games can help address autism

Gamers diagnosed with autism can improve their social interaction whenever they play multiplayer games.