In the article “Science Says Playing Video Games Can Make You Smarter” the author states how despite all the controversy around and about video games, there are some upsides the playing video games. Ever since video games have become a part in the culture of this time period researchers and psychologists have studied the impact gaming can have on people in a various amount of situations. Many of said studies have drawn conclusions saying gaming can increase brain function, problem solving skills, spatial reasoning, memory, attention span, strategic planning, and, in some cases, even social skills. Different video games can improve different skills, for example brain teasing games like Brain Age of Angry Birds can improve brain function and IQ. Games like this use problem solving, memory, spatial reasoning, and attention to detail, also to add on to the list these games slow the aging process.
However, games don’t make it seem like you’re improving these skills, Legend of Zelda and Mario are both games well known for their challenging puzzles that you need to solve in order to advance to the next level. Also to add-on the platforming aspects of some games can improve motor skills and reaction time. Role-Playing games (RPGs) improve problem-solving, strategy, logic, and reasoning skills. Examples of some games like this is Mass Effect, Elder Scrolls, and Final Fantasy. RPGs focus on player made choices, dialogue options, and consequences of player actions. Overall RPGs are more customizable than other games, which leds to different experiences that are unique. Players can also train their social skills, for example their empathy and ethic skills, this is because players are faced with difficult choices that can have consequences. These are skills, that in some cases, people take back with them in the real world. Real Time Strategy games, or also known as RTS games improves planning multitasking, and prioritization. RTS games use strategic planning in order to accomplish a task, defeat and enemy, or work with other players in order to win.
Games like this are StarCraft, Age of Empires, or World of Warcraft, these games challenge the player to think ahead, think smart, and think together. Here’s the catch, since it is real-time, things can possibly go horribly wrong. This teaches the player to adapt to changing situations. There are endless amounts of games with different benefits, for example, horror and action games help players control emotions like anger and fear in their everyday lives. Although some research leads to its findings that say playing violent video games can be negative, it isn’t entirely true. Games like Call of Duty or Halo have been linked to improving vision, sometimes even curing cataracts, they also improve multitasking, attention, and accuracy. Co-op games, like Minecraft or Fortnite, can improve teamwork, communication skills, and planning/strategic abilities.