7. Catharsis
The idea of catharsis, a term originally used by the Ancient Greeks, is that a key function of art is to allow us to express our emotions through a safe form that is to say, any violent urges, for example, might be satisfied by watching a tragedy play. Nowadays, you might be more likely to read a thriller, watch an action film or even (thats right...) play a video game. Does this concept have any place in modern psychology? Yes, it does: for example the process of making trauma victims relive their experiences has been shown to sometimes allow them to move beyond the event (because the negative emotion is previously trapped inside them, unable to be expressed). In practical terms, what does this mean for gamers? It means that gamers express anger and violent urges in a way which does absolutely no damage to anyone, thus allowing them to feel more relaxed and well adjusted in their every-day lives.
Prove It The
Hitman Study showed in considerable detail that violent games reduce depression and hostile feelings in players through mood management," and is supported by
this New York Times Article.
6. Fun
Its important not to forget the primary purpose of video games to enjoy yourself. Is that a waste of time? That depends on your view of the world, but if you believe that it is, go ahead and also boycott films, reading, music and socialising.
But thats different, those things are art... and normal! Really? Because playing video games can easily entail all four of those things, and more than half the worlds population do it in one form or another. While most of the other reasons in this top ten list help to the justify time spent gaming, having fun is the main reason that most gamers keep playing, and is there anything wrong with that? Not that I can see.
Prove It Two words: Mario Kart.