I wasn’t a gamer as a kid but as an adult I’ve come to love gaming. The joy of accomplishments, the camaraderie of guild members, and the fantasy of the worlds are powerful magic. I’ve met dear friends that I love every much as anyone IRL.
Gaming has significant social benefits apparently. Which anyone who spends a lot of time in Discords and guild chats can vouch for. My gaming friends are some of my closest friends. I know more about their lives than I sometimes do about coworkers or casual acquaintances.
In findings published in 2017, the team found that MMO engagement correlated to a stronger sense of social identity, or how people self-identify based on their affiliation to groups. That social identity then corresponded with higher self-esteem and more social competence and lower levels of loneliness, the researchers found.
But it doesn’t have to be immersive or social to be worth my time. I like ditzy mobile games too. Silly games that don’t take up too much cognitive overhead can be the most relaxing. It’s fun to move around cartoon bubbles or dress up a Kardashian. And sure enough that has benefits too. Improved problem solving skills, improved cognition and and eases pain. Guess that might be why I like it.
“It’s common to try to distract ourselves from pain by paying attention to something else or focusing on other body mechanisms, but that’s not the only reason why games are a good post-injury prescription. Playing can actually produce an analgesic (pain-killing) response in our higher cortical systems. The more immersive, the better—which is why pending virtual reality systems may one day be as prevalent in hospitals as hand sanitizer.” Mental Floss
The truth is even with all the benefits I think play is important. Time to do nothing but engage in childlike enjoyment makes life better. I just want to do something fun and relaxing and and not worry about anything while I do it.