Esports and Gaming: Benefits of Playing Video Games
Because they worry that video games will have a bad impact on their children’s academic performance, many parents are leery of them and don’t want them in the house.
Image Credit: twitter.com/@PCGamer
Playing video games can improve your attention span, imagination, memory, linguistic abilities, and sense of cooperation. Lara Croft may not be aware of it, yet her renowned PlayStation adventures have done more for archaeology than many textbooks. Along with the protagonist of the Tomb Raider series, countless other gaming characters inspire millions of students and adults worldwide to pursue careers in teaching history, geography, and arithmetic. Who said video games don’t foster intellectual curiosity?
Video Games’ Importance in the Society
The innocence of the videogame industry was long since lost. It is now a mature industry that is respected for its technological prowess, the ability for innovation, and well-honed entrepreneurial vision. The numbers don’t lie according to market research firm Newzoo, the industry will end 2019 with global revenue of more over $150 billion and annual growth of 9.6%.
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Given these figures, it should come as no surprise that video games predominate the audio-visual industry, considerably surpassing music and film. With 2.5 billion gamers worldwide, especially with hits like Fortnite, which has 139 million active players, not even Hollywood can compete with this industry.
This video game’s mania has spread across borders and is already scaring industry titans like Netflix more than Disney and HBO, which are its main rivals in the fight to rule the audio-visual content streaming market.
Essentials of Game-Based Learning
With game-based learning, video games have benefited education as well. By integrating useful aspects of video games, this teaching method educates students. It is founded on three crucial elements:
- It gives learning new life by turning it into an entertaining game without tedious lessons. Information is assimilated and retained by students practically subconsciously.
- It increases motivation because the story’s main characters—students—are rewarded for their performance with medals, additional lives, bonuses, etc. Their interest in learning is piqued and maintained by this.
- It provides opportunities for practice so that students can use what they learn without putting themselves at risk. For instance, the main focus of flying and navigation simulators is this.
Serious Video Games for Learning
There are instructional videogames referred to as serious games in the field of game-based learning. This particular area of study aims to instruct students in particular disciplines, like languages, or to prepare professionals like police officers, firefighters, pilots, or healthcare workers, among others. According to projections made by the Statista portal, the market for educational video games is rising and is predicted to reach $17 billion in value by 2023, an increase of 485% from the value it reached in 2018.
The Advantages of Playing Video Games
Numerous studies have been conducted on the effects of video games on society. For instance, a study defining how much time kids should spend playing video games was published in the journal Paediatrics in 2014 by Andrew Przybylski, a psychologist at the Internet Institute at Oxford University. He came to the conclusion that people who played for less than an hour had greater emotional stability, whereas those who played for about three hours every day displayed social issues. So, when it comes to video games, moderation is crucial because there are other advantages outside of just enhancing learning. Let’s examine a few of them:
They Accelerate Reaction Times
By presenting challenges that must be solved in a specific amount of time, researchers at Rochester University have discovered that troubleshooting abilities are improved.
They Promote Cooperation
The Institute for the Future (IFTF), a California-based organization, claims that multiplayer games encourage problem-solving teamwork.
They Increase Imagination, Concentration and Visual Memory
According to research from the University of California, these abilities are stimulated by setting objectives that call for focus, creativity, and the ability to recall specifics.
They Enhance Leadership and Strategy
According to research from Pittsburgh University, playing video games puts player in charge and helps them develop their capacity for negotiation, player interaction, and decision-making.
Languages are Taught
Helsinki University discovered that they are helpful for picking up new languages through on-screen instructions, player conversations, or the story’s narration.
Critically Analysing
An essay from the Monterrey Institute of Technology highlighted the moral, intellectual, and social foundations of these games as well as how they might make players think and sharpen their critical thinking skills.
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