A few months ago , the WHO dropped one of its most controversial statements because of the Covid-19 outbreak , opposing to what they have stated for decades that video games are bad for mental health:
Because of the current relevancy, this is my personal breakdown of how video games has impacted my life till university as a Computer Science undergraduate.
As an over-average (not hardcore) gamer who has played both single player and multiplayer video games since 10 from platforms GBA, PS2 to PC ,These are some of the goods and bads I picked up from the hobby…
Multiplayer
From the multiplayer context following are some of the skills that I achieved :
- Quick thinking: One of the best things online S & D matches have taught me is the ability to analyze a given situation and pick the best option for the limited resources you have (thank you COD4 Search & Destroy) .If you are the final one in your team, the split second time-frame you have to decide whether you should try to take them one by one or go for the plant has aided me in many real life scenarios of decision making and I think is a skill most gamers have been gifted with.
- Better hand-eye coordination: In most online shooters each gun behaves differently so the player has to invest countless hours to master various weapons and spray patterns. This dedication in terms pays off by rewarding them with great “see first act fast” reflexes . The trigger fingers most SCOPErs have are great examples
- Communication skills: A baseless accusation others have against gamers is that they are horrible at inter-personal communication. It is wrong, most MOBA games (even many others) have different character classes that are equally needed to balance the game and for a team to win , making strategies that complement every class is extremely important to win the game and therefore it lets players in a team to know the strengths and weaknesses of every other player and utilize them to make the best out of it.
“If you are in a team, and you have a problem,it means the whole team is having a problem,and you should fix it together”
-s1mple Professional CS:GO player-
- The best part, playing with friends: After a year of ending school, eventually you lose contact with most of the friends there. but your gaming squad is an exception. It’s been almost 3 years but we still play online matches even though some of us are thousands of miles apart.Video games are way of connecting people who are geographically distant.
Single player
Even if you cannot play them with friends, single player titles provide you with deep immersion of story,characters and some historical facts that not even most movies or TV shows can provide you with.IMO some of them are as good as a great novel.
In the 21st century single player games have become a perfect vessel for story telling. For me, I’ve never had myself emotionally impacted as much as after playing Red Dead Redemption 2 , Witcher 3 (The best thing that came close from another media except gaming was the ending of Great Gatsby). Unlike a book , movie or TV series, In games behind the keyboard/controller you have quite freedom and choices to take and each encounter involves you as a character of the plot and each major event (even the little timeless events as “What kind of name is Soap” in COD:MW) impacts you to a far more depth.
PS: Check the video below if you disagree that video games lack any depth.
Mental health
As a wise man once said, “There is no black and white , just gray” . It is also the same for video games.
In 2019, the WHO declared Gaming Disorder as an illness and added it to one of its list of diseases.The description is of someone with an inability to stop playing even though it interferes with other areas of one’s life, such as family relationships, school, work, and sleep.This is where it crosses the line and affects your life
But there have been instances where it was recorded as a remedy for depression and to help cope with social anxiety disorders and other complications.
Verdict
Too much of anything is good for nothing
-Proverb-
It is also the same for video games , If you can manage the time without getting addicted you’ll develop one of the most beneficial hobbies with all the above advantages as well as learn something in the meantime.
So happy gaming !
