Why Playing Video Games Is GOOD For You

One of the main arguments against video games from the mainstream media is how it appears to those looking in from the outside. To these people they simply see a person locked to a screen, often not talking, and come to the conclusion that this is somehow lazier than watching TV (which i'm sure many of the industry's critics partake in).

However this could't be further from the truth.

The engagement between player and video game is one of reaction and escapism. For every button press there is an involvement, or reaction, that creates a non verbal dialogue. This dialogue is the game telling the player how to beat it and the player responding. This connection allows for escapism to set in, and it's not a negative aspect to lose yourself to a narrative or a tense action game, as it allows your mind to focus on something.

In a generalised sense, a lot of people who suffer from poor mental health will speak about the inability to focus, or indeed being too focused on one particularly painful aspect of their lives. Video games break both cycles by allowing the attention to be shifted onto something else. This allows for a form of relaxation as now the brain is engaging with something else and can give the player time to reflect or indeed process information without even realising.

Video games are not a solution to mental health issues, but offer a chance to be something else for a short while, and allow people to step back from real life issues, allowing a moment of respite in the process.