“Video games rot your brain.” Those words echo through the minds of gamers all over the world. It brings up the important question, “do video games really have only negative effects on a person’s brain, or is there something more?” Studies have shown that games are not entirely bad for you. In fact, games have been shown to have more positive benefits rather than negative ones. Just like books, games take you to a whole new world full of story and adventure, taking your mind off of the present world.

Here’re some other ways video games can be a positive influence.

1. Stress Reliever

Like I said before, games can take your mind off of current events and take you to a whole new world. I asked my one of my friends how video games have affected him. He responded with, “When I get home from work, I just want to sit down, relax, and play some Call of Duty. It helps me relieve stress and stops me from doing to other people what I do in this game.”  

2.      Educational

In my own time as a gamer, I have learned a lot of new and interesting things. For example, I play a Multiplayer Online Battle Arena (MOBA for short,) called SMITE.  All of this game is based around mythology, damage calculations, decision making, reaction times, teamwork skills, and is rich with information about the different gods and pantheons there are in the real world.  There are also games that are strictly educational and teach you different subjects like math, history and science.  These types of games are quite beneficial for children of a young age.

3.      You can make a Career out of Gaming

Online video games are becoming very popular among the masses and is growing into a competitive sport, where you can use your skill in tournaments to win a lot of money.  This new genre of sports is being called Esports, an acronym for Electronic Sports.  Some notable games that you can get into include League of Legends, SMITE, and Dota 2. Teams compete across continents, often living with each other in the higher-up levels, and create an entire life for you based on playing video games. If you want to take your career of gaming to another level, you can get into making games and get paid high salaries by larger companies looking for experienced talent.

4.     Make Friends From All Over the World

Online gaming is a great way to meet new people from anywhere in the world.  Going back to my own personal experience, I have met some of the most friendly and real people through online gaming.  I have been friends with them for three years now, and they are some of my closest friends to date. As mentioned before, the very professional players often create an actual family out of online friends, living together and supporting each other.

5.    Physical Activity

Back in the 80’s through 90’s, video games would cause you to sit and be inactive, causing you to gain weight and, in general, make you unhealthy.  But with the introduction of motion controls, you need not worry about your weight anymore. The Xbox Kinect allows for one to become the controller, using their own body to perform actions in the game, providing a good and enjoyable source of exercise. Plus, with Virtual Reality right around the corner, who knows what other inventions they could make to make a game more active.