Most people who have encountered computer games have either a negative or a positive opinion about this pastime. For many years, disputes between opponents and supporters of computer games have not subsided, and they have the most diverse arguments.
And both sides talk about moments related to the psyche, society, and personal development. Some said there is nothing better than relaxing video games after a long hard day. But do video games help with anxiety? Let's try to figure out this issue.
Video games relieve stress better than meditation apps
There is a famous scientific experiment. The researchers conducted an experiment where they gave a short maths test for 45 participants and then asked them to either play a video game or use a meditation and relaxation app. It turned out that those participants who played the game on a smartphone felt more energetic. Conversely, subjects who used the relaxation app reported that their energy levels decreased, and their strength did not increase. The second part of the study was that 20 participants in the experiment played games for five days after returning home from work.
They reported feeling more relaxed by the end of the week than those who were asked to use the meditation app. Stress in student life can display itself through many different factors. Part-time work, deadlines, coursework, and the necessity to write a diploma are crucial for successful graduation from university or college. But your health must be in the first place. So, not only video games relieve stress. It can be a good idea to use writing services for students to save their health. For example, such a portal as Edubirdie can write essay for money. The authors of the study, commenting on such results, concluded that video games immediately meet four criteria necessary for recovery after work - they help to relax, teach new skills, distract from problems and allow players to restore their level of self-control.
Which video games can help you relieve stress?
If you are tired of writing essays, going to class, the library or education center, thinking about the grade, and the educational process in general, you should still pay attention to games. But first, there is an important lesson to be learned about which games are best for managing stress. You do not need to read a separate book or listen to a lecture for this. We have prepared a miniature course. There are several types of computer games that significantly reduce stress levels.
1. Casual - these games can always be painlessly postponed "for later." As a rule, game rounds are short in term. There is an opportunity to save the game at any stage, and always simple tests.
Play The Sims 4, Planet Zoo, Forge of Empires, Homescapes, Wordscapes are just a few casual video games today.
2. Cooperative - designed for the collective implementation of tasks. The support of friends is always a positive experience that increases stress resistance. According to the opinions of those participating in the survey, mass games and joint actions caused a real storm of positive emotions, as a result of which the subjects quickly got out of a stressful state. These games can be played on consoles, tablets, laptops Divinity: Original Sin, Borderlands, SIMS 4, Stellaris, Cities: Skylines, Subnautica, etc.
3. Educational games - aimed at developing mental abilities. Their advantage is that they help distract from disturbing or depressing thoughts and expand the player's capabilities in terms of decision-making and self-organization, including stress resistance.
Recommended games include Brain Age, PokerStars, Brain Age Concentration Training, Big Brain Academy (playable on Nintendo 3DS), Boggle, etc. That can make you think faster.
4. Favorite games - It doesn't matter what the game is. The main thing is that it should bring you pleasure, it should be exciting, set you up for positive thinking, and then you will not be afraid of any stress. Live to the fullest, fall in love, love, explore places you have not studied, and do only those things that charge you with positive!
Conclusion
People give only a one-sided view of video games in many articles and services. But labeling them as "bad," "good," "aggressive," "social" is to lose sight of many advantages of computer games in the modern world. People choose games with their advantages and disadvantages depending on their needs.
Undoubtedly, in the future, both the advantages and disadvantages of video games need to be explored to understand better their impact on young minds, including at different stages of personality development. And the modern system of labeling games by age categories, adopted in the gaming industry, is not supported by any research.
Video games are a great way for non-students to deal with Stress as well.
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