The Benefits of Video Games: How Video Games Can Stabilize Heart Rhythm, Reduce Stress and DepressionUntil recently, the benefits of video games have not been known or publicized. We've heard a great deal about the negative effects of video games. Recent development in game research shows that there is a positive side to video gaming as well. What are the Benefits of Video Games? According to an article in The Washington Post, game manufacturers are looking at the possible mental health benefits of certain games like PopCan Games'Bejeweled. A preliminary study shows that volunteers who played Bejeweled experienced an improvement in mood and heart rhythms compared with volunteers who weren't playing thegame. Game companies are targeting new markets for their products - people who are prone to depression and anxiety or those who are overwhelmed by daily stress and worry. The idea is that these games can distract people and place them in a "different mental zone." How do these Video Games Work? Certain video games allow people to fall into a rhythm that hovers between relaxation and alertness. Players do not get bored; nor are they over-extended in their efforts. These games activate the parasympathetic nervous system"which can reduce the heightened tension that is a natural response to stress." Another reason is that Type A people have a difficult time relaxing. Playing video games allows them to be alert yet at the same time relaxed in a state of "relative mindlessness." A third reason is that different emotions produce different heart rhythm signatures. Companies like HeartMath of Boulder Creek, California have designed games that allow players to be mindful of their heart rate variability. In effect, the gaming allows them to manage their emotional responses to stress. An example of the benefits of video games can be seen in HeartMath's "emWave" system which feeds a player's heart rate variability into a computer screen.The point of the game is to play it in such a way that the player can stabilize his heart rhythm variability. According to HeartMath psychophysiologist, Rollin McCraty, the key is coherence which,unlike relaxation alone, is a state of optimal alertness and relaxation. Excessive relaxation is not the goal of these video games; they are intended to bring heart rhythm into coherence, in a state that has often been referred to as the SMR, or sensorimotor rhythm, in line with low beta brain waves. A tool provided by HeartMath that allows people to learn how to develop smooth heart rhythms can be found in their destress kit. Here is more information on this kit. There are also new video games on the market aimed at helping children develop intellectual, social and emotional skills.
Researchers are discovering other benefits as well. According to the Center for Vision Research at York University in Toronto, video game playing reorganized the brain's cortical network, giving fame players an advantage in performing complex visuo-motor tasks. Studies also show that game playing produced a "more efficient brain network for controlling movement that includes the prefrontal, premotor, primary sensorimotor and otherparietal cortices," leading to more intricate hand-eye coordination. Perhaps we can infer from this that players who develop complex hand-eye coordination may well have an advantage in careers that demand this skill such as surgery. In fact, Literacy Studies Professor James Paul Gee from Arizona State University, author of What Video Games Have to Teach Us About Learning believes that the benefits of video games are worth exploring; in fact, he says that manipulating computers, stimulating imagination and problem solving are all part of the literacy picture of the future and children should have the opportunity to develop technological literacy for survival in the world of the 21st century. More benefits of video games are found in those that demand solutions for a problem. Gee claims that a video game presents a set of problems for solving. "The Sims", for example, is a best-selling game that provokes innovation. In this game, players are encouraged to build a family in a community and design houses. Parents who are selective about the kind of games their children can engage in are preparing them for a world in which literacy is more than words. Gee also insists that parents need to realize that every new technology is an opportunity to make their children "smarter or stupider." It all depends on how parents and children interact with the technology. "Video games," he says," are a part of our culture now and we should acknowledge that and we should develop games and encourage the use of games in our kids - if they're playing them anyway - that promote good behaviors and promote learning." Perhaps, as parents, we should be more open to the benefits of video games. A new generation of games that are relaxing and calming is making its way into the market, due largely to the influence of women and older players who are not as interested in bloodshed and aggression as they are in community and rapport. These are players who want to enjoy family time with children, grandchildren, friends and neighbors. According to Richard Chang, relaxing games "designed to induce calm and tranquility are emerging as a major category in an industry often knocked for promoting bad behavior." Nintendo's Wii has made a major excursion into the market with its game focusing on fitness, education and community. "Endless Ocean" is a game that presents a challenge without the usual call for adrenaline; instead players dive into "gentle deep waters" to visit sea creatures, corals and buried caves. Based on the idea that the benefits of video games go beyond aggression, these games challenge the players without over-stimulating them with violent images and sound. There is a need for more games in the casual videogame market - a situation that bodes well for those of us who want our children and grandchildren to have more experiences of kindness, generosity and rapport. Source:Chang, Richard, "Videogames Seek More Peace, Less War," London Free Press June 10 2011. Paddock, Catherine PhD, "Extensive Video Game Experience Readies the Brain for More Challenging Hand-Eye Tasks,"Medical News Today, September 27, 2010. Pedro,Kelly "But Mom...I'm Learning," The London Free Press, February 4 2011. Calling all Parents of ADD/ADHD Kids: "Now You Can Eliminate Hyperactivity, Increase Attention Span, Eradicate Defiant Behavior and Finally End The ADD/ADHD Nightmare Forever...With The Only Treatment That Combines Cutting Edge Audio Technology, Behavior Modification and Diet Into A Program Unlike Any Other" A Holistic, drug-free Program that's 100% safe, effective & can be used With Kids Of All Ages. Disclaimer: The above information is meant only to inform and should never displace professional consultation.
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