I was a gamer for as long as I could remember, and because of that, I can definitely say it has helped me maintain higher self esteem than some of my peers.
I’ve always been a Nintendo-gal. My parents had the NES, I had a Gameboy SP in elementary, a Nintendo DS for the rest of school, and I bought a second hand Wii in university.
I LOVED games, and I was lucky enough to have friends who had a devices as well. Heck, we would even use PictoChat in class since we didn’t have cellphones.
So this article is very personal to me. I have seen my own growth through games, and have also seen others gain confidence and self-esteem with every win. So let me tell you the benefits of playing games, and why you should give it a try!
Quick disclaimer, this article is only referring to single player games and family friendly games. Games that anyone could pick up, get into, and eventually win with persistence. I don’t have experience with RPGs or live action online games, though I have tried a few apps and personally didn’t see many benefits. It can be impossible to catch up to those who have been playing longer, and others can gain advantages through payments, making it hard for the average person to get anywhere unless they are playing all the time or competitively. I said what I said, but feel free to share your opinions on these and how they’ve helped you build confidence in the comments!
1. Games Are Designed To Win
While you may be unlucky and never win anything when it comes to life, games are built with the intention that you can eventually win if you keep at it.
They start off easy which allows you to understand the goal and get comfortable with the controls. As you continue along, it gets harder and harder in difficulty. Some levels or stages may take you a while to complete, while others you can do on the first try. Since you’ve been playing for a while, you are invested in it. Although you may fail or lose, you learn from those takes and you have the opportunities to try again until you win.
One of the hardest, but also most satisfying wins I’ve ever had was from Pokemon Puzzle League. When i was forced to spend weekends at my dads house, I eventually came across his stepkid’s Nintendo 64 and this game.
It didn’t take long before I was hooked. I had to learn new tricks, and move quickly to ensure success. The boss battle however, I remember losing within 8 seconds on my first try. I barely had a chance to take it in. It probably took me 2 or 3 days, many many hours to win. But when I did…..it was probably the first and only time I jumped out of my seat and screamed. And then I sat down, looking at the ‘Congratulations!’ screen, on the verge of tears.
There’s something about working hard and actually having your effort pay off. In real life, you can work hard and never win. There is competition and biases. But in games, it’s a fair battle field, and the creators want you to reach the end. You can do it eventually if you keep at it!
The more you win, the more confident you will feel about yourself and your capabilities. What once seemed impossible becomes possible with practice.
2. Games Build Hand-Eye Coordination
Would you rather have surgery done by a normal person, or someone who has spend hours learning to be precise with every button, stroke and move they make?
If there’s anything about gamers, it’s that they have one of the best hand-eye coordination and reaction skills compared to most people. When you’re using a motion remote like for Wiis, the slightest move or flick could mess you up. There are cooking games, sports games, and of course fighting games.
For those who played musical games like DDR and Guitar Hero, one must react to a screen immediately but also on time and on beat to score top points. There’s a lot of input coming in and I feel it’s not truly appreciated how much practice it takes to move as quickly as some players do. You don’t have opportunities in real life to build that kind of reaction and coordination skill.
3. Games builds various soft skills
Games can push you outside of your comfort zone. Even if you want to take your time through a level and explore it full, there are time limits, and you learn to adjust and plan accordingly.
Should you waste 20 seconds getting this super mushroom, or should you head straight for the finish line? If you know enemies are going to come and attack you in a few moments, you will plan ahead and gear up or recruit others for battle.
You may also unknowingly learn a lot about human nature and build social skills as well. Getting to read dialogue or even answer in-game questions from other characters can build more social skills and awareness as well.
While you may find an answer funny, seeing the character cry in the next scene can teach a lot. You would want your partners or friends in the game to like you, so it’s a good way to see how your words or actions may affect others.
Depending on the type of game, you may also be working on your puzzle solving skills and strategic thinking. You may have to solve mysteries, face an army in battle, or get through stages without being caught. There’s a lot of thinking and doing, and if you want to win, you’ll learn how to do it fast.
4. Games Prepare You For The Unknown
Life can be boring and predictable. There’s many things you’ll never get to try or experience in real life, but games open up a door of possibilities.
You can be a chef in a busy kitchen. You can be a soldier on the battle field. You can be a Nascar driver. You can be a criminal or a detective. You can be a superhero and save the world.
As realistic or unrealistic these games may be, they are exposing us to things we may never get to experience otherwise. Or even better, they are teaching us things that could be useful if we were to ever come across it.
One game I personally loved was “Trauma Center: Under The Knife 2”, where I was a ‘famous surgeon’ and pretty much have to handle all the patients coming to the ER. At one moment, I’m having a casually conversation with my coworkers, and next thing, we are alerted of a near by car crash and how we have to prepare.
I am debriefed on my patient, given a time limit based on their vitals and risk, and then I get started. I clean the skin, make a few injections to ensure stability, make an incision, handle forceps to remove foreign objects, etc. The stress is real. I want to save this patient (at least, on the first try if possible). The information in the game is true and realistic.
I will admit too, after playing quite a few racing games, driving and the dynamics of a car felt very natural when I started. A lot of games are based on real life dynamics, like in sports games, so a lot of that knowledge can be transferred to the real thing, if you ever get to experience it anyways.
All in all, the more games you play, the more confident you’ll feel in your day to day life. No matter the situation or the place, you’ll be able to assess the scenario, take in input, plan strategically, and figure out what’s the best thing to do.
5. Games Encourage Healthy Competition & Builds better friendships
For children, I would highly recommend they grow up playing games now and then. I would even recommend it over TV for all the benefits listed. They are working towards something, and using their mind and/or body to accomplish things that will build their confidence.
Growing up, video games were a fun way to bond with a friend. Sometimes, we would work together on a mission, like in Mario Bros. Other times, we would face each other and it can get quite serious, like in Zelda. We both wanted to win, and we both worked hard. If one of us lost, we would ask for a rematch, and it would continue. It was all fun though and a great way to bond with people.
I also thought 3 kids a serious lesson about life and competition. My little sister, and our two neighbour’s kids, all of which were on average, 10 years younger than me would all play my Wii with me. They weren’t the best at most games at their age but I didn’t mind. It was great seeing their progress over the years though. Games like Mario and Wii Sports got easier for them.
But there was one game we were all obsessed with, and that was Just Dance. Now, I wouldn’t call myself a great dancer, especially back then, but as a gamer, I have learned how to move the way the game wants me to so I could get great ratings and awards. I was very accurate and true to the dance and didn’t believe in putting my own spin to it. The dances were easy enough to pick up even on my first try, so I would get 5 stars easily.
Now these kids tried hard, and there were songs we would play together quite regularly, but they just couldn’t beat me. I was always #1. That goes for most games, but even they stood a good chance in sports for example. But Just Dance, they couldn’t beat me. It was so bad that #2 was #1 amongst them. I’m sorry, I don’t go easy on kids.
But now and then, one would beat me, just by a handful of points. Even so, they would be shocked and honestly the happiest I’ve ever seen them. They all had one or two songs where they could possibly beat me in, or we’d take turns between winning and losing. There were certain moves I just couldn’t get perfect on no matter how much I adjusted it and that gave them the advantage.
All in all, it was all fun competition. No one got mad or laughed at others when the lost. They were always ready for a rematch and because I pushed them to work harder to win, they improved quickly in such a short amount of time.
For kids who never get to compete or who has never faced loss, they grow up with a hightened sense of ego and importance. If they could easily beat their dad or their brother, imagine how cocky they would be in school when challenge, and the utter defeat they will face. Not to mention, them questioning themselves and their abilities when they realize they aren’t that good.
Games are a great way to challenge kids and have them experience trying new skills and techniques in a low-stakes competition to see if they could win, similar to playing cards. I also don’t think we would be nearly as close as we are now if we didn’t spend countless hours and nights playing games, encouraging each other and having our little rivalries.
6. Games Can Help You Practice Or Study
If the above reasons weren’t good enough, there are always games that are designed to teach you real life skills.
Drummania and Band Hero could really help you get started on the drums or even become a competent drummer as you are learning real beats on a real kit and playing to real songs in real time. My Japanese Coach can teach you Japanese. Just Dance could actually teach you to dance. Spelling, math, chemistry, there are games for that too.
Games are a great way to learn and improve because it is constantly grading you, and often keeping track of your progress as well. Because it is a game, they have designed it in a way that makes it enjoyable, so you keep coming back to it. If only I could tell you the amount of times I chose to play Big Brain Academy! By adding stars, awards, and other initiatives, you’ll keep playing even when the main story line is finished.
In fact, one reason I’m such a fast typer now is because I fell in love with “All The Right Type,” a game that was installed on all the elementary school computers. While the other kids chose to play Math Circus, which was definitely more fun, I was here typing away and building my speed. I have been complimented on my typing speed more than you could ever know.
7. You Learn How To Make & Take Calculated Risks
If there’s one thing I know about gamers, it’s that we aren’t gamblers. We may appear that way, and our decisions may not always have the best result, but as a whole, we do think things through. It’s one thing games do best.
Every game, whether you have a lot of freedom or not, you are in control and you decide how you want to play the game to reach victory.
Back to the Mario example, if you’re running out of time, but you know where the gold coins or fancy stars are, will you go out of your way for them or just finish up the game?
Each player knows what they are capable of and how comfortable they are with the round. They won’t risk losing their progress and their life if the odds are slim, more so if they only got a couple lives left. But if the player is confident and he knows going for the bonus means an extra life and not having to do this level again later on, it may be worth it.
Outside of childrens games, that paths are rarely linear. There’s a lot of things to consider while playing and the player would run through the options. Even if they ended up picking the worst of the paths, they’ll just figure out how to make it work to still succeed. This can help them become great leaders and they’ll be less stressed when making risky decisions in real life.
In Conclusion, Play Games And Have Fun!
If you don’t play games, it’s never too late to start! As opposed to wasting time passively with shows, you can actually have fun, train your brain, and build real skills with games. With all these skills, you’re going to feel more ready and more confident for whatever life throws your way.
If you aren’t sure if they’re right for you, buy a Nintendo console off a second hand marketplace, like Kijiji or Craigslist. You can probably get a perfectly good Nintendo DS with lots of games for under $100. and train your brain with games.
And don’t be shy! It’s always a bit more awkward the first time if you haven’t grown up with games, but it’s nothing to be embarrassed about!
My unofficial grandma who’s probably 70 or 80 would come by and play Just Dance too! It’s all in good fun!
This video below is about a girl who is learning to figure out games for the first time. You’ll catch on eventually. Just keep trying even if you fail!
The more you play games, the more you’ll love it. There’s really no better pass time if you want to relax at home but still keep your mind sharp.
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