Want another boost? Play a video game!
My last blog talked about how reading is generally good for you. Even reading fiction. But what about playing video games?
An article in Reader’s Digest summarizes some of the beneficial effects video games can have on your health. Unfortunately, it’s titled, “8 Reasons Video Games Might Just Be Better for You Than Books,” and many of the studies don’t actually compare playing video games to reading books. I’ll chalk that up to Reader’s Digest trying to create a click-bait title and excusing itself by using the “might just” phrasing. (The click bait worked for me; I did click on it, after all.)
While I don’t have access to all of the studies cited and can’t comment on their validity, many of their findings make sense. Often for the same reasons reading fiction can be good for your mental health.
In case you need a reason to justify taking a break and playing a video game, check out the Reader’s Digest article below.
Just keep in mind a few things:
- For optimal health benefits, use common sense and moderation. Spending too much time playing games can cause problems for some people, including eye strain, tendinitis, and consequences resulting from shirking certain responsibilities.
- Some benefits in the article call for specific types of games, such as ones that are “visual-heavy” like Tetris.
- Your mileage may vary. If you find a game frustrates you rather than makes you happy, try other games.
Here’s the article! Enjoy!
https://www.rd.com/health/wellness/health-benefits-of-video-games/
And in case you’re wondering whether reading fiction is good for you, here’s my blog about an article discussing the health benefits of reading.