1. Memory
Many video games require some serious strategy and concentration. If you have ever built your own civilization in Minecraft or fought for your life in Fortnite, you know how important it is to remember where you found specific resources or where you need to go next. With 3D graphics and immersive audio, video game environments are extremely rich in stimuli. Navigating the virtual world of video games is now very similar to navigating the real world. In fact, exploring video game universes can have a positive impact on memory in your everyday life.
When you must juggle multiple tasks and goals while navigating a virtual space, you are exercising your hippocampus. This is the part of the brain responsible for converting short-term memory to long-term memory, as well as controlling spatial memory. When you keep your hippocampus in shape, you will see improved long-term memory and be better at navigating physical space. If you are prone to getting lost on your way to the store, video games may be able to help improve your memory for directions.
2. Spatial Visualization
On top of improving your spatial memory, playing video games also helps you visualize space better. A 2013 study from the American Psychological Association showed that shooter video games improve how you think about objects in three dimensions. Gamers are better at judging distances between objects or mentally rotating objects to imagine how they might fit into a space.
This enhanced spatial visualization has practical benefits, like knowing whether you will be able to parallel park in a tight spot or organizing your closet, so everything fits. Good spatial visualization is also essential for success in many STEM careers.
3. Perception and Vision
When faced with a complex environment with competing stimuli, your brain creates a perceptual template that helps you determine what is important and what is not. This perceptual template enables you to assess and respond to a situation. According to a 2014 study published in Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, playing action video games can improve a person’s ability to create perceptual templates. This type of improvement in perception is especially beneficial, as it is not task-specific but can apply to any situation.
High-action video games can also improve your ability to distinguish patterns and different shades of gray. Scientists used to believe your ability to distinguish contrast was not something that could improve, however, research from the University of Rochester showed gamers who played about 5.5 hours of action games each week for nine weeks showed a 43 percent improvement in their contrast sensitivity.
The gamer’s brains were able to process visual stimuli more efficiently, and this improvement in perception lasted for months after the experiment ended. This improved perception has valuable real-life benefits, such as being able to keep track of your friends better in a crowd or find something you have dropped in the grass.
9. Youthfulness
As your brain ages, your memory, focus and ability to multitask all begin to decline. While young people are often able to juggle several different mental demands at once, older people may find it difficult to stay focused even on a single task. However, there are many ways to keep your brain young, such as by doing puzzles, eating healthy, exercising and even playing video games.
In a study by the University of California, San Francisco, researchers created a simple driving game where players had to identify road signs while driving around obstacles. When required to multi-task, players of all ages performed worse than when only completing one task. However, those between 60 and 80 years old showed a drop in performance of 64 percent, while younger participants between 20 and 30 years old showed only a 26 percent performance drop.
As the older players continued to train with the game, however, they experienced improved multi-tasking abilities, short-term memory and long-term focus. The benefits of playing the video game were so extreme that the older trained players performed better than untrained players in their 20s. Playing video games that require multi-tasking and focus may be a great way to keep your brain young.
10. Curiosity and Learning
On a basic level, when you are playing video games, your brain is working and growing. As you figure out how a game works and complete puzzles to master a level, you are creating new connections in your mind. The more motivated you are to beat the game, the more your brain is working and the more you are learning. Continued learning and stimulating your brain is essential to keeping it healthy as you age.
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