Helping a teammate in the middle of a Dota 2 final is not just a strategic act, it is also an act of mutual aid, complicity, and solidarity.
Beyond the eternal controversies designating video games as a catalyst for violence among young people, they are also a transmitter of moral and social values, to the point of being seen as interesting clinical tools.
From Mario to Rayman, from Lara Croft to Solid Snake, from your WoW guild to your unbeatable Fortnite team: what do video games convey to us on a human, societal, and even physiological level?
In this article:
- The benefits of video games for us and our society
- The drawbacks, video games aren't all good
Video games, a vector for different values
Aside from their entire economic model, video games can be seen as a second school in which it is possible to learn, understand, and improve.
Since the arrival of Pong in 1972, video game culture has constantly evolved, crossing generations, trends, and forging new practices. Whatever some may think, the video game is a cornerstone in the structure of our society... and here is why!
Video games as a school of life and reason
We wouldn't go so far as to say that Samus Aran is the equivalent of Socrates or a civics teacher, but it has been proven that gamers develop a stronger moral sense than non-gaming individuals.
A study published in the journal Frontiers in Psychology states that adolescent gamers acquire a greater moral sense, since they are constantly subjected to making choices through games: should you fight or spare this criminal? should you help or abandon this stranger at the risk of losing some of your resources? should you find Princess Peach?
By offering complex moral dilemmas through their stories, video games question our thought processes and our value systems, both within the game and outside of it.
With games like The Last of Us where our adventure is linked to the NPC who accompanies us (Ellie!!), to games like GTA and Red Dead Redemption where our avatar must sometimes make choices between good and evil, video games disrupt our relationship with ethics and help us understand the moral complexity of our civilization in a more nuanced way.
Video games are interactive, story-laden content that allows us to reason, as well as to grasp situations that we sometimes encounter in life and question ourselves about our own choices.
Video games as a place for thought and messages
Many games allow us to grasp elements of our history or understand the complexity of a situation related to our society.
From our relationship with ecology in games like Sim City, where we must monitor the pollution level of our city, to our relationship with technology, as in the latest game from the French studio Quantic Dream, Detroit: Become Human, the video game conveys messages and confronts us with real facts that are part of our daily lives.
Video games are true mirrors of our world and its crises and they help us, through a fun activity, to understand the mechanics and problems that stand before us.
Video games as a driver of openness to others
You must know the cliché of the shy nerd who strangely resembles Napoleon Dynamite. Video games have very often been linked to these clichés of asocial individuals cloistered in their room. Fortunately, today, we are past that, although shyness may still exist.
Since the democratization of MMORPGs and massive multiplayer games, video games have entered a new dimension. They have opened up the possibility for gamers to interact—within the game itself—with other players and, as a result, create strong and active communities. Gaming has thus become a new way to connect with others over the last ten years.
The video game has become a special place for meeting people. It unites people, players, who gather around a stream, an e-sports match, or in the middle of a game of Among Us.
There is a new type of sharing, a vibrant and entertaining interaction that gives rise to new experiences of community life. It is a new form of socialization, which has helped many of us open up to others and discover ourselves.
Video games as a charitable and humanitarian actor
Gamer communities from all over the world, in addition to the many enthusiasts and fans who accompany them, have become true philanthropists today. The video game has become a new lever for solidarity.
It is the great popularity of e-sports that has made all this possible. In 2017, the Zevent gaming marathon raised funds to help the victims of Hurricane Irma. By broadcasting their performances live on Twitch, about thirty streamers managed to raise over 450,000 euros for the Red Cross.
From then on, we can say today that the video game has become a new actor of solidarity thanks to communities of players who organize charitable events, which sometimes even go beyond the game itself.
Video games as a physiological and cognitive stimulant
Over the last two decades, video games have also been at the center of medical and clinical research. Numerous tests have made it possible to discover the extent to which video game activity acted on our body.
- action on our visual attention
Battlefield, Warzone, Call Of, who would have thought that these games could have a positive effect on our attention and our visual faculties?
A study published in 2003 in the famous journal Nature stated that the ocular capacity of gamers declined less quickly than that of non-gamers. They would have a better grasp of space as well as better motor skills in their environment.
Nevertheless, it should not be forgotten that prolonged practice of video games alters the health of our eyes and that protective glasses are generally recommended. To protect yourself, we recommend that you consult our guide.
- action on our cognitive performance
A few years ago, German researchers invited about fifty adults to play Super Mario 64 for 30 minutes a day for two months. By analyzing brain scans before and after the test, they discovered an increase in gray matter in certain parts of the brain (those related to spatial orientation). Video games could increase our cognitive faculties.
Many other studies have also shown that video games could stimulate children or even slow down brain aging.
- action on certain deficiencies and pathologies
Yes, video games have unsuspected benefits! Other studies, including one published by Italian researchers in Current Biology, confirmed that gaming activity helped alleviate reading problems or even dyslexia in young players.
Video games also help reduce hyperactivity and concentration issues. Something to keep you as calm as Sam Fischer!
The video game, the dark side of the Force
Despite a long list of qualities, video games also have their share of drawbacks: enough, in fact, for the WHO to include "gaming disorder" in its international classification of diseases in 2018.
Gaming disorder is defined by 3 criteria:
- inability to stop (or loss of control)
- loss of interest in other activities
- continuation of gaming despite negative consequences on one's surroundings (social, professional, or family)
Video game dependence is real in some individuals. This can turn into a serious addiction.
Apart from this pathology, it is good to remember that video games can alter other mechanisms of our life or our body:
- eyesight: we talk about it quite often here. Time spent in front of a screen can accelerate the aging of your eyes. Protect your pupils here!
- obesity: sitting for long hours to level up your character on FF15 does not require much muscle effort. Don't forget to get some fresh air, take breaks, engage in sports activity, and always eat well to avoid other health issues: diabetes, cardiovascular disease, depression... By the way, have you had the opportunity to read our dietary recommendations in this article?
- trivialization of violence: ah, here it is, finally, the perennial refrain of video game critics. Whether we agree or not, the video game immerses us in fun and fictional worlds. Some fragile individuals can sometimes lose touch with reality... but once again, these remain rare cases. Caution, therefore, always.
A final word: video games, good or bad?
It is a certainty today, the world of video games goes beyond the simple act of playing. In recent years, communities have become stronger, and games have become increasingly complex and interesting. All this transformation has had a major impact on players but also on society.
At Horus X, we like to see how this whole universe evolves, and we too are doing our part by offering a product that protects your vision so that this wonderful community of gamers can continue to grow in the best conditions.
