How Video Games Influence Cognitive Skills

Video games are one of the most popular forms of entertainment, with all generations able to enjoy variations of video games. However, many might not be aware that there are some significant cognitive impacts that video games can have. How do video games influence overall cognitive skills?

If you’re interested in learning more about the impact of video games on cognitive skills, you’re in the right place. There are many positive ways video games can influence cognitive ability, but there are also some downsides to consider. Read on as we dive into the impact of video games on cognitive ability.

Benefits of Video Games on Cognitive Skills

Whether we’re talking about a professional gamer in the world of esports or someone who likes to play a few hours of an adventure game a day, many cognitive benefits can come from enough participation.

Although there are ample beneficial impacts on cognitive skills from playing video games, we only have time to touch on a few here. Let’s dive into some of the most significant ways playing video games will impact the mind.

Improved Spatial Abilities

A significant impact on cognitive abilities when playing video games is the opportunity to improve spatial abilities. This is especially prevalent in action-based video games and contributes to creating the skills for multi-object tracking, enumeration, spatial resolution, and visuo-motor coordination. 

Popular action video games include Resident Evil 2, Uncharted, Batman, Star Wars Jedi: Survivor, and Horizon Zero Dawn. These will allow the player to improve their overall spatial capacities, which allow the individual to remember, reason, and understand specific objects in a space.

Bettered Mental Flexibility

If playing first-person shooters is your thing, you may garner better mental flexibility. Improved flexibility means you will become much better at moving between tasks in your day. Also, it will make it much easier for you to switch your train of thought if plans change throughout the day.

Often-played first-person shooter games include Battlefield, Bioshock Infinite, Borderlands 2, and Call of Duty: Modern Warfare. These will allow you to have much better reactions to changing circumstances.

Excellent Reaction Time

Those who play esports or enjoy action video games at home could enjoy an improved reaction time in everything they do. Not only does the reaction time improve, but you also don’t lose any of the accuracy that you would have had with a slightly slower reaction time. Aim and performance are improved for the action-based player.

Some of the best action games include God of War, Assassin’s Creed Valhalla, Marvel’s Spider-Man, The Last of Us Part II, and Death Stranding. Action games can range from adventures with superheroes to riding horses out in the Wild West. If it involves moving fast and attacking with accuracy, it’s an action game.

Advanced Visual-To-Auditory Attentional Shifting Ability

Those who enjoy action games might be able to experience an advancement in visual-to-auditory attentional shifting abilities, which means children who have dyslexia might find it much easier to shift attention from visual to auditory cues through the assistance of action video games. This statement means reading efficiency might improve.

Popular action games for children include Lego Worlds, Lego Marvel Super Heroes, Among Us, Lego Jurassic World, and Super Mario 3D All-Stars. For some children, playing video games might have a positive cognitive benefit that could improve their ability in school and beyond.

Bettered Recognition and Spatial Memory

If 3D video games are your thing, it’s possible to develop better recognition and spatial memory. Recognition and spatial memory allow you to record and then recover vital information for the sake of planning or recall. Also, it’s a vital tool to have to orient yourself in a space. 

Popular 3D video games include Super Mario Bros., Call of Duty, Read Dead Redemption II, and Fortnite. These could assist with recognition and spatial areas of the mind. 

Related: From Board to Screen: The Adaption of Tabletop Games

Are There Cognitive Downsides to Video Games?

There are ample benefits that come with playing video games. However, there are also some downsides to consider before you or your loved ones go all in on these adventures. As with everything, it’s vital to do things in moderation.

Keep reading as we discuss some of the cognitive downsides of video games. Although there is ample good that can come from them, there are also troubles like impulsiveness that can come into play if one becomes too hooked.

Impulsiveness

Whether you’re someone who’s involved in professional esports or like to play your first-person shooter at the end of the day, video games can lead to impulsiveness in the typical brain. This statement is especially true for children or teenagers who play video games. 

Impulsiveness means young children might have difficulty paying attention in class or keeping themselves calm when they want to do something together. Individuals who play video games are much more likely to act without thinking first, which can be unfortunate when considering the right choice to make in any given situation.

Video Game Addiction

For those who play video games often, a video game addiction can arise. Video game addiction means the individual has far less control over their emotions when considering playing, and the addiction to the games means other areas of life could suffer - such as school or relationships.

Symptoms of video game addiction include poor performance in areas of life that require work, a desire to constantly play video games, withdrawal symptoms when away from video games, and more. Video games might have some excellent cognitive benefits, but it’s vital to enjoy them in moderation.

Related: Mobile Gaming Revolution: The Impact of Smartphones on Gaming

Final Thoughts

Although many don’t realize it, video games can have a significant impact on cognitive abilities. From the benefits of improved spatial recognition to the downsides in items like impulsiveness, there are many sides to the video game experience. 

We hope this information is beneficial! Whether you or a loved one is an active video game player, it’s always exciting to know what you’re getting into when considering positive and negative impacts on the mind.

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