Gaming has been for ages considered a loner-preferred hobby that alienates the individual from the real world and estranges them from peers.
Conventional thinkers accord with this understatement even today, when technology is virtually reaching its peak. While we understand where the concern is coming from – games being taken away from the playground and transferred to the virtual world – there is still but the other side of the coin.
What if we told you that there might be more than one reality?
According to a study conducted by the New York Times, online gaming can be perceived as a new form of a social media platform, on which participants connect based on their favourite spare time activity. Instead of sharing pictures and music videos, you trade your interests with minds that think alike, forming a new kind of society.
There are a plethora of benefits to interactive games. The synaesthesia of them all can be experienced only if you are a devoted player. Although the gist of this hands-on practice can be felt only through your own journey, we will attempt to underline some key umbrella elements that most practitioners would likely agree on.
Stress Reduction
In today’s society, anxiety and depression are commonplace, especially among young demographics.
They find relief in enjoying online games – classic video and casino ones alike – as they boost their mood and put their mood swings in order. Furthermore, with the development of gaming which involves interactive social aspects, spending time with fellow players is easier than ever. Playing alongside other online gaming enthusiasts helps us combat loneliness and negative thoughts. Consequently, tackling stress becomes a doable task, and accepting oneself is the final result.
Building Capacity
While sitting at a virtual table playing Roulette, for instance, or any other game, for that matter, we get to exchange views and opinions with co-players. This kind of mental stimulation improves memory and increases one’s mnemonic abilities. Additionally, since you get to share your knowledge with others and enrich your own, social gaming enhances emotional intelligence, which is an often overlooked segment of activities of this kind. Your EQ, that is your emotional quotient, displays your capability to relate and sympathise with others. It is no news that spending time with other humans strengthens our own social abilities.
Pure Fun
Saving the most precious for last, we are returning to one of the core needs of a human being – entertainment. As social beings, we feed off of socialising and absorb the energy of our surroundings. Traditionally, this has referred to physical presence, but the radical growth of the industry and platforms has led to the expansion of the definition. Nowadays, online gaming platforms cater for multi-player environments, with a sole purpose of being – fun. There is arguably no better way of learning than through interaction and playing, and making friendships whilst enjoying oneself should be our main goal in life.
Perhaps then we would not have as much difficulty facing the harsh reality of the outside world.
