The Value of Video Games

Quick Facts

-Different kinds of video games have different kinds of values! Shooters help us develop our reflexes and quick observational skills. RPGs show us how to use what we have, and they help us develop our patience. Brain games help keep our intelligence and memory skills sharp!

-Video games can be used to avoid pain and trauma. Playing video games to do this isn’t healthy, and healing your pain is much better than suppressing it.

Intro

Video games have been on the rise since the early 1980s and they've definitely received some mixed opinions. Some of us think they're detrimental to our well-being, some of us think they're actually good for us, and some of us are completely indifferent to them entirely.

I've thoroughly enjoyed them since I was a young lad and many of my friends have as well! This prompted me to ask the question, "why?"

The Stigma Surrounding Them

I want to address the core complaint that many of us have about video games;

"They're making you unproductive, how will you ever move on with your life if you keep playing these things?"

Many parents and older people disdain video games for either this reason or something that looks like, "you need to spend more time outside/with your family and friends."

These beliefs are fading away as more and more people are able to make a living by recording themselves playing video games and posting their videos on YouTube! The potential monetary gain far, far exceeds the potential monetary gain of a 9-5, it's quite possible to make millions per year if you make great content.

It can very well be that, even if you're making a good amount of money playing video games, they can be taking over your life in a way that's detrimental to your well-being. This happened to me when I was younger, and I decided to expand on it in the paragraph below.

How They Can Be Detrimental

Video games are, often enough, miniature simulations of life - or even, simulations of how we want life to be. Why do so many fantasy games exist, and why are they so popular? It's because they grip people's emotions in such a profound way and allow the release of dopamine at a rate that's quicker, more often, and longer than real life tends to.

With the evolution of technology, we can play online and speak to other people simultaneously, effectively eliminating the "need" for face-to-face contact. We can also make real money at the same time. So, one of the genuine problems I notice is that playing video games is a sedentary activity while our bodies are built to be active. This can be remedied with exercise, of course!

But there's another problem, a problem that's much deeper than what we've talked about so far. Video games are quite often used to escape trauma, terrible lifestyle choices and situations, inner shadow work, etc. I remember this being the sole reason I played video games as a child, my parents were so detrimental to my well-being that I couldn't handle it, so I played video games to ignore my pain and to ignore my family.

Playing video games with the intention of avoiding your trauma and pain is the worst reason to play them. Do you want to talk with your friends? Sure. Do you want to make money? Absolutely. But if you have trauma, inner pain, and/or a terrible life situation I greatly encourage you to heal yourself/change your situation instead of using video games to escape or ignore yourself. Please don't make the same mistake that I made for so long!

The Value of Video Games

Okay, now that we have the sad part out of the way let's talk about the good stuff - the value that video games provide!

As we know there are many different kinds of video games, and each of them provides something that’s quite valuable to our lives!

-Action shooters, for example, train us to make decisions extremely quickly and have very fast reflexes. They're also great for unleashing pent-up aggression!

-We play MMORPGs very well when we can budget our gold and buy what we need without overspending. RuneScape is great for this!

-Video games in general allow us to play out fantasies that would be socially unacceptable to do in the physical world.

-Video games like Among Us can teach us how to lie and how to improve our acting skills.

-Strategy games are a magnificent way to improve our strategic abilities and keep our minds as sharp as can be!

-Racing games help develop our ability to keep multiple aspects of the game in mind while we're trying to win and/or achieve the best possible time.

-Fighting games help us keep any possible move our opponent could make in mind while we act out what we think is the best string of actions to defeat our opponent. This can help us win fights when we aren't playing video games, should the need arise.

-Video games can help us relax from a long day because of the dopamine releases :)

-And, let's keep in mind that any kind of video game where we can play with other people as a team gives us the ability to learn how to go towards a commonly-shared goal! This skillset is priceless if you ask me.

There's definitely more but I'll leave it at that. The value that video games provide is actually quite deep and meaningful, so I encourage you to share this post with anyone and everyone that you know, especially if they doubt that video games are good for you!

Final Thoughts

Sometimes people are against video games because they're jealous of those who play them and have fun. There are definitely those who envy people who are capable of having fun and, therefore, are against any way in which we actually have fun (video games, riding a dirt bike, hanging out with friends, etc). I encourage you to ignore most of what these people say since most of them are bitter and sad inside, and they can use a lot of healing!

Conclusion

Thank you for reading my post, I greatly appreciate it! I'll see you in the next article :)