Video games get a lot of flak from people. Whether it’s from professionals, teachers, politicians 

or parents, the industry gets a lot of negativities directed its way for a variety of reasons. Some say it’s a waste of time and money, or that it ruins us in various ways. Whatever the criticism, video games have endured decades of these types of judgements. However, many of these views of playing video games are incorrect or do not tell the whole story. In fact, there are benefits of playing video games that very few people know about. And far from being a warning against video games, they are the reason why we should spend some time playing. Here are 5 guilt-free reasons for playing video games.

Better brain health - Yes, that’s correct. Playing video games can lead to better brain health. Gaming requires a number of skills that people may be unaware that they are using. Keeping track of objects on a screen, memorization and problem solving are skills that gamers are refining at every second of gameplay. Through replication of these tasks, your visual perception and ability to process information are being sharpened. You are also improving your ability to switch between multiple tasks. While gaming may appear to be pure fun, it’s also a sneaky way to exercise your brain. 

Community - The fact is that video games bring people together. The image of the lone gamer playing in front of a glowing screen is inaccurate. Many gamers play with others whether it’s in the same room or on the internet. Also, through services like XBox Live, Playstation Network and Discord, gamers can converse with each other. Community is an integral part of the gaming experience and sites like joystickgaming.io do their best to foster the sense of community by bringing gamers together for tips, tricks and game recommendations.

Teaches persistence - Video games are all about overcoming challenges. The game presents a series of challenges to each player for which they must draw on their smarts, problem solving ability and creativity to overcome. Any game that you can beat on the first try is not a game worth playing. Gamers will find themselves failing repeatedly. But each failure encourages them to get up and try again. Even if it takes them ten tries to pass a level, gamers are willing to put in the work. Because of this, gamers learn that persistence can help them overcome their goals.

Better dexterity - Gaming requires players to have nimble fingers. All that manipulation of the buttons and joystick helps to improve hand eye coordination and the dexterity of your hands. You gain the ability to manipulate objects more easily. Video gaming is sort of like occupational therapy for your hands. Studies have shown that surgeons who play video games enjoy better dexterity, accuracy, speed and make fewer errors than their counterparts who avoid playing altogether. 

Stress relief - Being an adult can be not so much fun sometimes. With adulthood comes tons of responsibility and lots of people depending on you. This is why it’s important to have an outlet for your stress. Luckily, video games can provide this. They are both enjoyable and engaging and allow you to forget about the pressing matters that consume you, even if only briefly. Playing video games also helps you feel pleasure and satisfaction through the secretion of dopamine that comes as a result of the pleasure and reward system created by video games.