How Playing Video Games Has Changed the Current Generation

When American physicist William Higinbotham created the world’s first video game way back in 1958, he likely never anticipated it would turn into the billion-dollar industry it is today. The vast popularity of video games means they can now be found in almost every corner of the globe.

With the evolution of video games and how we play them, the impacts on modern society have been immeasurable. Below, we’ll look at how playing video games has changed the current generation, both for the better and for the worse.

The Positive Sides of Video Gaming

It’s been clear for many years that starting to play video games at a young age can have significant benefits. Whether played on the latest savvy TV, a PC, or a mobile device, studies have confirmed that the current generation developed cognitive skills more quickly than previous generations.

Problem-Solving Skills

One of the benefits of playing video games that is mentioned often is the development of logic and problem-solving skills. A 2015 study conducted by Australia and China highlighted this fact, noting a marked improvement in theoretical tests among respondents.

Performing fMRI (functional MRI) scans on a group of professional gamers, the study showed an increased presence of grey matter in their brains. These same gamers also experienced increased connectivity between subregions of their brain. Primary improvements were noted in the areas associated with cognitive abilities, such as logical thinking and problem-solving.

Hand-Eye Coordination

Another benefit of playing video games involves increased sensorimotor skills (hand-to-eye coordination). A study by the University of Toronto found that gamers and those exposed to video games from a young age could process tasks requiring coordination more quickly and with greater accuracy.

Apart from the numerous benefits, such as improved typing ability, this offers in our digital world, heightened sensorimotor skills also help in the performance of physical tasks. These advantages include activities like learning to ride a bicycle or play sports.

Decision Making

Making split-second decisions in a video game can be the difference between victory or defeat. This pressure to make quick decisions was highlighted in a study by the University of Rochester.

The study, which presented gamers and non-gamers with specific scenarios, found that the gamers could make decisions almost 25% more rapidly than their counterparts. Additionally, despite the quicker decision-making, the options gamers chose were more accurate.

Multi-Tasking

Finally, one of the most common positive effects of video games on the current generation is that they impact their multi-tasking skills. This is because many modern video games require players to complete multiple tasks simultaneously and rapidly process various scenarios.

Action games have been noted as the most beneficial in this regard. Video games in this genre require users to keep track of items like their health, ammo, and position. At the same time, players must note their enemy’s movements and anticipate probable actions. 

The Negatives of Video Gaming

While the above positives have helped the current generation work more efficiently, make faster and more accurate decisions, and improve their coordination, video games do have some drawbacks.

Physical Health

One of the main negatives of playing video games excessively is the health risks they can create. Individuals who log excessive hours on video games, such as professional gamer , these effects can lead to severe health problems—even at a young age.

Because gaming almost always involves stationary positions, gamers experience significantly less physical activity than non-gamers. This lack of movement can lead to muscle atrophy, stiff joints, and poor posture.

In addition, excessive gaming is also commonly associated with unhealthy diets. Gamers are known for not stepping away from games to eat healthy meals, which can lead to degenerative diseases like heart failure and diabetes.

Attention Problems

Although it may sound odd, considering video games require such a great degree of concentration, one of the disadvantages of gaming is reduced focus. While it is possible to simply focus on having fun and hopefully winning, like those who play games at Borgata in New Jersey, video games typically require rapt attention.

Spending too much time focusing on a game can cause one of the most common gaming disorders, an inability to focus on individual tasks. When this occurs, gamers suffer from a preoccupation with games that takes their attention away from everything else, leading to challenges in concentrating on other tasks.

Depression and Poor Emotional Regulation

A study listed in the National Library of Medicine in 2014 published its research about a link between video gaming and depression. There is a degree of debate surrounding this, however, and ongoing studies are trying to confirm this link.

What the study did confirm is that gamers who spend more than two hours per day playing their preferred titles are more likely to develop depressive symptoms. Meanwhile, other studies have proven that excessive gaming can lead to players being unable to regulate their emotions.

When gamers suffer from this, small things could easily set them off on an angry rant. Inversely, things that aren’t detrimental could cause a spiral of sadness they struggle to overcome.

Conclusion

With the American video game industry estimated to have been worth $106.82 billion at the end of 2023, there is one certainty: it is showing no signs of slowing its growth. As more people play even more games, they will be affected by the positives and negatives of gaming.

Video games have resulted in extraordinary skills, coordination, and reasoning for the current generation. However, these have come at a cost to physical and emotional well-being. Due to studies highlighting these issues, there is a greater general awareness regarding making the most of the benefits while reducing the harmful side effects.

As future generations also pick up controllers or log into their favorite games, these discoveries will hopefully lead to safer and more beneficial gaming for all.