The benefits of gaming

When violence erupts within a normally quiet suburban neighborhood, some concerned citizens point their fingers towards the electronics section. While video games have earned considerable criticism from the media for exposing children and young adults to high-caliber violence, studies show that there may actually be some cognitive and health benefits that stem from playing video games. “Benefits appear to be in visual/spatial skills — that is, the ability to recognize certain visual patterns and react to them quickly,” said Matthew Rossano, professor of psychology. “Also there appear to be some benefits in focused attention, the ability to stay focused on a task and filter out extraneous signals.” According to a study released by the University of Utah, video games may be therapeutic for children with chronic illnesses such as depression, autism and Parkinson’s disease, empowering the children by impacting “neuronal mechanisms that activate positive emotions and the reward system.” Video games have also been shown to relieve stress, improve vision and improve decision-making skills. For this reason, games like “Minecraft” have been incorporated into some schools across the United States, according to edudemic.com.