It’s no secret that gaming- be it mobile, PC, or console- is a huge industry and a hobby beloved by billions of people across the world. Thankfully it’s been years since this stereotype existed, but it used to be commonplace to assume that gamers are lazy slackers with no motivation or purpose. People thought they would sit inside with the shades drawn all day, doing nothing but eating unhealthy snacks and chatting with internet buddies while they blow a couple of alien races away. Even mentioning all these things will make most people laugh as this is the essence of all the stereotypes about video games as it all starts as a habit and grows to an excessive level.
Playing online casino slots on websites such as borgataonline.com, a first-person shooter, or a survival game is wholly accepted as a great hobby nowadays, and we know that for most gamers, the stereotype simply is not valid! Gaming is not only a hobby these days, but a profession for some. Well-known gamers stream their gameplay and share exciting facts about cool new gadgets coming onto the market. Besides that, the Esports community is also expanding and reaching new highs in both number of players and followers and the overall profits each year, which speaks volumes about how important role games have in modern society.
The professional gamers also have a yearly salary almost as equal to some of the world-famous athletes, which is yet another example of how big of a potential the Esports industry has. Another thing we can often hear is that they are just for boys, which couldn’t be further from the truth, and in if we just check the stats from last year, we will clearly see that women accounted for 45 percent of gamers in the United States. Furthermore, making friends online through gaming is the norm now, especially over the last few years. Overall, gaming is a mainstream pursuit, and research now proves that aside from just being a lot of fun, playing video games can actually increase our productivity at work!
Most bosses might not believe you when they first hear this statement, but the truth is that we can learn skills from playing video games that will make us much better employees, which benefits them in the long run. Yes, even some gamers might find this fact surprising, but that’s just because they are not familiar with how they help us adapt to new circumstances, making us more efficient and flexible. So, in order to help you understand just how playing video games can improve your productivity, let’s go through some facts.
Cognitive Improvements
Source:pexels.com
While many people once held the belief that long periods of time playing video games would diminish mental capacity and could even lead to depression and mental disorders, the facts prove otherwise. While staying indoors for too long can lead to depression from lack of sunlight, gaming can sharpen our cognitive abilities rather than dull them. Studies have proven that gamers access their attentional control (capacity to choose what to focus on and what to ignore) more than those who don’t play as often. Of course, it all depends on the type and genre of the games we play, but in general, almost all new ones have such high def graphics that makes playing them much more enjoyable but much more helpful at the same time.
Namely, we can at least subconsciously learn so many things this way, and the cognitive improvements are just the beginning. All this means that those who enjoy playing video games are much more easily able to sift out sounds or actions that are not important to the task at hand and focus on the ones that matter at a given moment. This ability to hyperfocus means that, regardless of what kind of distractions occur, these types of persons can complete any given task in the workplace. All these things make them irreplaceable, as their overall productivity is at the highest level.
Mental Exercise
Source:pexels.com
Your brain needs exercise just as much as your body does. While some people might play Sudoku or do crossword puzzles to get this exercise, gamers get their daily dose from the activity they most enjoy. Naturally, some games provide a slightly more challenging obstacle course than others. Take a game like Mario Brothers as an example, as it can be won by learning the routines necessary on different levels and parroting those actions over and over again. However, the one like The Witcher, on the other hand, can have several different results and have mentally taxing challenges set through the various paths at different stages.
Staying on your toes and completing these tasks is mental exercise at its best. You’re working specific mental muscles in a battle situation, solving a riddle, or planning the best way to rescue a friend in need. If someone works in a physical environment where spatial skills are essential, video games can help them improve those too. In general, every game has different rules, patterns, and obstacles, and depending on the genre and type, some of them improve our reflexes, while for others, creating tactics and well-thought strategies are a must. Furthermore, because they are so realistic, some can even help us understand and learn to drive in a much better way.
Improved Teamwork Skills
Those who focus more on the games that require partnership and cooperation with other parties, such as Overwatch or Counter-Strike, will need to talk to others about the best course of action for the team. Needless to say how important this can be for people working in a fast-paced work environment like marketing or even brokerage. What makes them so great is that if one wants to survive a brutal battle, they need to figure out who will be at the vanguard, the flank, and watching the team’s backs. Conversing and delegating tasks as a leader or accepting roles and tasks as a team member are essential parts of teamwork that help us win but also help us work well with colleagues if the need arises. Besides, keep in mind that great team-leading skills are always highly valued by the employer.
If your co-workers are gamers as well, lucky you! Besides the fact you can always find a teammate to play with, playing team-oriented games with your co-workers after hours can be an excellent way to bond with them and have a little fun at the same time. Whether your position is one that operates solo or requires you to work closely with other people, teamwork is vital if you work in an office environment. It makes a better working atmosphere and makes making complex decisions and solving problems much easier. The pro-social skills that gaming fosters can help you interact with people in the office if you are usually shy or quiet and improve your relationship. Helpful behaviors learned in games can also extend to the work environment and help the whole company works much more efficiently.
Final Word
Source:pexels.com
Gaming can teach you great skills or help you hone the ones you already possess, which means there is nothing wrong with spending some time doing it. While your boss probably won’t thank you for playing games on the job, having gaming as a hobby is not only fun but also a skill-sharpening habit, which also doesn’t mean how one should insist on playing them at work because that would just be silly. On the other hand, we simply must understand the depth and overall impact video games have, as they can help us reduce stress, forget about the problems and become much more effective, productive, and faster in making important decisions.
