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Good News: If You Play Computer Games You Will Definitely Develop Useful Life Skills

Lots of people are upset when confronted with an obsessed fan who wants to play computer games 24/7. It's uncomfortable to watch a teenager slumped over a computer for hours, nothing moving but his fingers and his glazed eyes. And in truth, being sedentary for hours with no time spent in the fresh air is unhealthy for the mind and body. Still, to reassure parents everywhere, there is much to be learned from video games.

1. Video games are a great boon to hand-eye coordination. If you've ever tried to move and maneuver through a game then you already know how clumsy your first attempts were. As you get better, you become more skilled at creating a synergy between your hands operating the mouse, and your eyes, so that they operate as one entity. There are many uses for this skill in the outside world.

2. Along with quickness of eye and hand comes an ability to make decisions immediately. Of course, when making important decisions we need to take as much time as possible, but there are moments in life when a choice must be made quickly, without extended thought or regret. Video games are so addictive simply because there are constant surprises and players must react and adjust their playing instantly.

3. As we play computer games we develop our memorization skills. Most video games, especially those centered around fast action, involve huge amounts of land and often many worlds. If a player must interrupt his game to check out maps and manuals, his game will be disrupted and will lose the fast pace that make it so much fun to gamers. As a result, many players almost automatically memorize huge amounts of facts and detail that would amaze outsiders.

4. Video games encourage players to explore, to 'think out of the box'. There is always new territory that is laden with hazards; strange new characters that might be friend - or foe; doors to open that might have either incredible dangers or great rewards behind them. Timidity is an enemy of anyone who wants to compete and win in the gaming world. Courage is required!

5. Strategic thinking is a valuable skill in the real world and it's encouraged in the virtual world. Chess is famous for forcing its players to think far ahead, to plan moves that involve complicated strategies. Video games also require thinking ahead. The games shifts constantly and players must think several steps ahead of their current situation.

6. If you are bitten by the Gaming Bug, you will be FORCED to acquire the skills of patience and determination. Some of the really popular video games can take weeks - or even months - to finish. Impatient folks who can't or won't plan ahead and endure might as well seek out simple games that aren't complicated and demanding. Serious gamers, of course, think those kinds of challenges are b-o-r-i-n-g!

7. Research has proven that games increase the human ability to solve problems, and electronic games are no different. All games center around a problem that must be solved and in the course of one single game, a player may need to solve dozens, or even hundreds, of problems. And rewards go to those who can solve problems in the fastest way possible.

8. The best games are loaded with lush and imaginative scenery, amazing tools and homes and intriguing and sometimes menacing characters. All these feed the imagination and some games allow players to insert their own creations into the game. It might be argued that this doesn't encourage imagination as much as simpler toys or books where the reader is forced to "see" the characters through her own imagination. Yet it is definitely more creative that TV or a movie where everything is supplied by someone else's mind.

9. In our view, the most important skill offered by video games is that of consequences. It's obvious in this world that there are many adults who haven't figured out that every single action has a consequence, no matter how small. All computer and video games are centered around the "action - reaction" principle. However the gamer reacts, whatever choices he makes, the game will evolve based on those choices. In other words, every choice or move has a consequence. Anyone who learns this early in life will be well served.

So is spending every waking moment playing computer games a good idea? No, it is not. There needs to be balance in our lives and superb health demands that we spend time moving our bodies and quieting our minds. Still, it's reassuring to know that when we play computer games we are developing useful life skills because one thing is for sure: video games are growing in popularity and in our technological world they're not likely to go away.

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