The next time someone tells you that gaming is bad for you – or a drug, as I’ve been told by an ignorant person – slap some scientific knowledge in his or her face. Author, game designer, and game researcher Jane McGonigal recently performed a study in order to prove that gaming can actually help people.
Her research provided evidence that playing video games for at least an hour each day can help people feel a sense of satisfaction, emotional prosperity, and encouragement to strive for real-life goals. From playing cooperative games that require teamwork to progress to enjoying Rock Band or Guitar Hero (R.I.P.), which actually make players interested in learning how to play instruments, gaming is a useful tool that can strengthen bonds, help people learn effective problem-solving skills, and motivate gamers to be more assertive.
So the next time someone you know berates you for your love of gaming, educate them on the matter, and rather than yelling at them to get your point across, invite them to play a game of Rock Band, challenge them to solve a puzzle in Professor Layton, or just engage in some friendly fun with a couple of rounds of Wii Party.
[Source]
