Can a Video Game Save Your Life?

Does this mean the next version of Call of Duty is going to jump off its shelf and defeat the next armed robber that breaks into your house to steal your TV and console?  Does it mean your recently acquired copy of No Man's Sky will go on long walks with you at night to protect you from potential attackers?  Are your beloved Mario games going to form together into an onstoppable pixelized army at your command?

Unfortunately for us, logic tells us those are probably all not likely.  However, video games do a lot more for you than you realize, or maybe even want to admit.  Many people have said and many studies have shown that video games can have a very significant effect on someone's life, physcological growth, and development.  They've been known to help with depression and other anxiety/social disorders, they can combat certain physical abnormalities, they even help people learn new skills entirely that might have been harder for them to learn otherwise!  And you get all that on top of having a grand old time?  Who knew?

In fact, a study done by the Pew Research Center in 2015 came to the conclusion that a whopping 64% of people said that either most or some video games help develop good problem-solving skills, a trait necesarry for job environments and every day life.  On top of that another 47% of people asked argued that some or most video games also promote teamwork and communication, which are always valuable assets to have for success.  On top of that, an estimated 45% of adults claim that some or most video games are a better form of entertainment than TV. (Source)

Okay, so a lot of us gamers already knew that gaming helped with the things listed above, so here's some you may not know:

Mental Benefits

• A study performed by Oxford University deduced that playing video games after experiencing emotional trauma can significantly reduce emotional scarring, flashbacks, and emotional disruptions. (Source)
• A 2014 study by the University of Buffalo came to the conclusion that playing video games can actually help players be more morally conscientious, after intentionally making players make "bad" decisions and measured their feelings of guilt afterwards. (Source)
• A scientific team from Plymouth University and Queensland University of Technology found that playing video games can actually help reduce the risk of cravings for alcohol, food, sex, and cigarettes by as much as 13.9%. (Source)

Physical Benefits

• According to a study performed by Li and Colleagues in 2011, video games can actually help treat amblyopia, otherwise known as "Lazy Eye".  Two sets of people were formed, and each set had their good eye covered, then one set of people told to play an action-based video game, and the others to knit or watch TV.  The group that played video games showed impressive results, often normal or near-normal eye functioning and the other group did not.  Many of the video game-treated people developed 20/20 vision in their "lazy eye" and were able to restore their stereoscopic vision (coordination of both eyes to see depth). (Source)
• One study in 2013 found that as little as 12 hours of video game play improved children's Dyslexia, even more so than training programs specifically designed to treat Dyslexia. (Source)
• Another study conducted by Beth Israel and the National Institute on Media and the Family at Iowa State University in 2004 displayed that people who played video games may actually be better at performing surgery.  All their subjects were doctors, and some were asked to play 3 hours of video games a week.  Those that did resulted in making 37% less mistakes and getting done 27% faster than those that didn't. (Source)

Video Games a Beacon of Light in the Darkness

Nearly everyone experiences dark times in their life, whether caused by outside factors that result in temporary unhappiness, or caused by those of us with chronic depression and other physological/emotional defects resulting in longer or more permanent unhappiness.  Everyone experiences these dark spots in life, they're pretty much unavoidable and a part of growing.  However, what you might not know is how often people use video games to cope with these issues or move past them.  There are actually some fellow Steemians that can attest to this, later in this article.

The hippocampus is the area of your brain that controls memory and learning, as well as concept behind rewarding yourself, which helps motivate us to achieve our goals.  People that have depression often describe it as having a complete and utter lack of motivation, and sometimes video games can be the complete opposite of that; consistently rewarding players for quests and killing monsters which produces the kind of brain activity needed to combat the biochemical causes of being depressed. (Source)

If you think about it from a logical standpoint; it just makes sense.  A big part of depression is lack of motivation.  If you give someone a game that rewards them virtually for tasks completed, even though they're not huge tasks, and the rewards aren't tangible, the sense of accomplishment is just as real, and most definitely a step in the right direction.  Even for people without depression, video games are a consistent source of fun and a distraction when you need it.  Think back on your life - can you think of any specific instances of difficult times in your life where you used something, maybe not even video games, to distract yourself and give yourself space from the issue?

What do your fellow Steemians have to say on the subject?

For many people, playing video games isn't just about alleviating their depression or other problems, it's about having fun and having an "escape" from the real world. It's about making new connections and friends, exploring, and working together.  I gathered together some people from Steemit Chat and Primedice to interview them on how video games influenced their lives and directly impacted them during tough times in their life, and will be featuring some of the best responses below:

When @virtualgrowth was asked what he thought made video games an "escape" for most people, he responded thoughtfully with " Video games are in escape through numerous ways. This may be through the challenge, competition, fun, strategy, and/or thinking to name a few. Games are found rewarding to people through game feedback loops that correspond with each person's interest and appreciation through and from various games found through playing them. Games can also be a break from our daily life routines. Our minds refocus on a completely different realm in different games. ".  This is a fantastic point, sometimes in your life you may be stuck in a certain situation and don't have the means to a resolution, but you can use video games to find resolutions to other problems, resulting in at least a smaller form of happiness.  Everyone finds different forms of entertainment "rewarding".

A member of Primedice, named StarBruck, had an interesting response when asked how video games have influenced his life:

He also had an interesting response regarding video games helping him with a difficult time in his life:

Another fellow Steemian, @rikrdo, said that video games had a huge impact on his life and he even learned a completely different skill, playing the guitar, from their inspiration!

When Steemian @sykochica was asked her opinion on how video games functioned as an "escape" for people, she responded with, " I see a few sides to escaping in a game. One part of the escape is into the storyline itself, focusing on this other world. This let's you immerse yourself somewhere without the daily stresses and concerns. Another is the leveling up aspect, in that there is always that next gratifying achievement like getting a better sword, going up a level, or enhancing crafting mastery. Many MMORPGs focus on having a constant flow of low hanging fruit where you get the rush of completing is as well as the character growth. The final is on the social side, where you are interacting with people in voice chat, to accomplish things impossible for a single player alone. The camaraderie gained through ups and downs make you feel accepted as a part of the group, even if purely virtual.".

MMORPG-type games seem to have a long-standing effect on a lot of people, teaching them teamwork and communication, as well as a sense of accomplishment, which are all important aspects of life.  Melwinder from Primedice gave me some feedback on MMORPG-type games as well, when he answered some of my questions:

Lastly, each of the multiple people I interviewed were asked what types of video games or specific games they'd suggest to other people as distractions or coping methods, and one of my favorite responses was another from @rikrdo:

Video games not only helped him throughout his life, but they also inspired him to pick up the guitar and learn it, as well as learn a whole other language?  How cool is that?

In the end...

Will a video game jump up to save you in your moment of certain peril?  Science says no.  But science also says that video games can have a significant and profound effect on peoples' lives, whether it's alleviating conditions, providing a distraction from every day life, or even just as a simple form of entertainment.  The video game industry has exploded since it's birth, and I still believe we've only just scratched the beginning.

Thanks for reading!  Be sure to Follow me @voltarius for more interesting content! A special shoutout and thanks to Melwinder and StarBruck from Primedice, and also @virtualgrowth @sykochica and @rikrdo for letting me interview them and share their answers!