By Travis Wu
You’ve probably heard it a million times from your parents: “Video games are not good for you”, or even better, “If you keep staring at that screen, your eyes will pop out and turn into collectible power-ups in the game.” As dramatic as that sounds, it captures just one side of the story.
Sure, excessive gaming can come with some eye strain and maybe a few too many late-night snoozes, but could the benefits of gaming actually paint a bigger picture? From mental breaks, social connections, learning and more, gaming is not as bad as it seems.
As hardworking high school students, our day is packed with classes, practice, homework and assessments that can cause a lot of stress. Nothing is quite like diving into a game and leaving all that stress behind. For the most part, it’s relaxing and therapeutic — unless you’re going into the game with a bad mentality or raging over losses. Those long-lasting sessions of wandering around your Minecraft world exploring the vastness of biomes are basically self-care because they aid your mental health.
For those who find enjoyment in learning, video games can also be an outlet to education. Popular video games such as Minecraft and Roblox are the kings of “learning disguised as fun.” For example, Minecraft’s “Education Mode” includes science, math and engineering to help students learn while having fun. Crafting circuits with redstone? That’s basic electric engineering. I’m not sure about you guys, but I learned that glass is created from sand through Minecraft.
Here’s a thought from Eddie Lavrov, the Fountain Valley High School esports head coach who has many years of experience with education, programming and gaming.
“I think having the educational material inside games that people are familiar with is helpful, especially to students that do play those games,” Lavrov said.
Roblox is another game in which users are able to create anything they want where their imagination is the boundary. If you search for math tutoring games or help on chemistry homework, I’m sure you’ll be able to find some valuable resources on the Roblox catalog.
So the next time someone tells you, “Stop wasting time on those games”, just simply respond with “I’m honing in on my STEM skills”.
Now, here’s where it gets even more interesting: video games are turning into some of the best places to meet new people and make friends. Especially in this day and age where people have more social interactions online via social media than in person, video gaming can bring people together and create new bonds.
“Nowadays, from my experience, it seems like online games are the only ways, or are one of the major ways, that students even communicate with each other at all. You know, young people, I should say, they don’t go outside, they don’t like to do stuff,” Lavrov said.
Someone who knows this situation all too well is senior Benjamin Woo, a world-class gamer and North America’s future prodigy who’s ranked in the top 1% of League of Legends players.
“I made tons of friends over League of Legends. In fact, I met this recently graduated electrical engineer, and that guy’s been helping me in school,” Woo said.
And don’t get me started on the brain boosts. One of Woo’s favorite games, League of Legends, requires a whole bunch of strategy, critical thinking and being quick on your feet. You’re not just mindlessly pressing buttons; you’re plotting, planning and reacting.
“League of Legends has actually helped me with making decisions on the spot. In League of Legends, there’s a lot of times when you have to react instantaneously to a play,” Woo said.
These quick decision-making and strategy games can boost cognitive flexibility and help players develop resilience, adaptability and versatility which can be useful in real-life applications. Think of it as a workout for your brain that’s also surprisingly fun.
To go alongside the decision-making, League of Legends also requires players to shotcall and communicate with teammates. I’m sure that if you play video games in a competitive-multiplayer environment, then you’ll have to learn leadership skills and communication skills to guide your team to victory.
“You will need someone that you can trust in which you can just look up to and know that you have to have full faith in their calls. Trust is a big factor in League of Legends alongside leadership,” Woo said. “A strong leader is able to guide the team through the right calls and others should just be able to follow their judgment.”
In addition to cognitive benefits, video games improve hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Games that involve precision such as Valorant require fast reflexes and accuracy. Surgeons who play video games demonstrate greater accuracy and dexterity in their procedures. So, your hours spent aim training in The Range can actually help for your future career as a doctor.
So, is gaming a “waste of time”? Not even close. It’s a way to chill, meet new people, build real skills and give your mind a break. In a world that’s constantly telling us to be productive 24/7, video games offer a chance to recharge and grow in ways that school and work sometimes don’t.
The next time your parents give you the old “video games are bad” lecture, hit them back with this: “Oh, so you’re saying you don’t want me to become a professional doctor like you’ve always been asking me to do. Or become a future engineer?”
Or better yet, tell them, “Actually, I’m honing my skills in strategic thinking, teamwork and mental endurance.”
Aren’t those traits what every parent wants from their children?”
And if all else fails, at least video games haven’t only improved your reflexes … they’ve given you comeback lines too!
