Video games often have a bad reputation among parents and teachers. However, most studies show that playing video games helps young people develop crucial study skills, boost their mood, and even reduce stress. Indeed, gaming can be a powerful tool to improve students’ mental health. It helps them relax, provides a fun pastime activity, and serves as a stress release. Let’s have a better look at all those benefits.
Joyful activity
Let’s start with the obvious one. Gaming is fun. That’s why so many people do it. It is a nice hobby to have. Many view gaming as a part of their relaxing routine, major interests, or even a big part of their lifestyle. Overall, video games help people feel better.First, games can lead to a reading experience. One feels better after achieving a new level, winning a boss fight, or completing a challenge. The rewarding experience is instant. It serves as gratification and motivates players to keep on going. Also, such an experience releases dopamine in your blood. Not only do they make you feel better, but they also reduce cortisol - the stress hormone.
Students who worry too much feel anxious and stressed and have too many cortisol hormones in their blood. To fight that, people should do things they enjoy, like exercising, socializing, or playing video games.
Stress release
Stress often comes as the result of bottled-up negative emotions, such as pressure and fear. Such emotional states are no fun, so young people aren’t in a rush to deal with them as they occur. However, with time, such unprocessed emotions affect one’s mental health, focus, and confidence. They turn into chronic stress if nothing is done. Fortunately, students can use video games to experience and process those emotions in a safe and controlled environment.Players experience a wide range of emotions during the game. They can feel ecstatic and happy. Yet, they often feel tense, anxious, angry, and even frightened, depending on what kind of games and genres they prefer. However, there are no ‘bad’ feelings if they are expressed in a healthy way. Games help students experience those negative emotions, thus releasing them from any bottled-up feelings.
Escapism
Video games require total concentration. You can be playing and thinking/doing other things simultaneously. It’s fair to say this experience is similar to mediation. One focuses all their attention on one thing only (like breathing or killing trolls in dungeons) and forgets about the external world around them. In limited doses, escapism can be highly beneficial and healthy for young minds. It allows the brain to rest, change the focus, and let go of things that torture it (stress factors) in real life.Games leave no room for your stress. They create a safe, magical domain where you turn to someone else for a short time. In other words, it provides a temporary refuge for those who need to escape reality. Of course, students need to deal with homework, study, and complete their chores. However, these shouldn’t be done at the stake of their mental health. So, they may benefit from ordering papers at https://speedypaper.com time by time and escaping in the virtual fantasy world instead.
