"Video
gamers collectively spend 3 billion hours per week in front of their
screens" [1]
Video
gaming is skyrocketing, "Mobile gaming is now bigger than both
personal computer and console gaming" [2], and best of all, this
mega fun, exciting from of entertainment can be enjoyed anytime,
anywhere, on a smartphone via a cutting-edge app such as OONA,
which offers a Trilogy of Free Entertainment options: Live/VOD TV,
Music, & Gaming, all of which can be used on a home TV via casting/ OONA's android box.
Image credit: ESA.com
Last year: "Over 166 million adults in the United States played video games and three-quarters of all Americans had at least one gamer in their household. As the leading form of entertainment today, video games are an integral part of American culture" [3].
"2018
was a record-breaking year for the industry, with total video game
sales exceeding $43.4 billion" [3]
Image credit of US Stats: ESA.com
Last year: "Over 166 million adults in the United States played video games and three-quarters of all Americans had at least one gamer in their household. As the leading form of entertainment today, video games are an integral part of American culture" [3].
Image credit: ESA.com
But
apart from the fun factor, what other benefits are the countless
millions of children, adolescents and adults of all ages, actually
getting out of it? Well, scientists have asked the same questions,
and in various parts of the world, research has been conducted to
ascertain whether or not this gaming trend has a positive or negative
effect on our brains and behaviour.
Image credit: National Institutes For Health
Examining the Evidence
According
to research conducted by the Entertainment
Software Association (ESA), in the US: "Video
game players represent a diverse cross-section of the American
population spanning every age, gender, and ethnicity. They live
healthy lives, are civically engaged, and are socially active. More
than three-quarters report that video games provide them with mental
stimulation (79%) as well as relaxation and stress relief (78%). The
role of video games in the American family is also changing: nearly
three-quarters (74%) of parents believe video games can be
educational for their children, and more than half (57%) enjoy
playing games with their child at least weekly [3].
Image credit: Historical Thinking
And although the study author naturally referred to the downside of this pastime, namely, internet gaming addiction [1]; as long as users enjoy gaming in balanced measures, with plenty of breaks in between, for example, just playing for a set period of time, or just when commuting, etc., then everything should be hunky dory.
Christophe Hochart: on screen and 2nd from the left
OONA's Founder and CEO, government advisor, digital strategist and AI expert, Christophe Hochart, who is also a university lecturer, and popular key speaker at industry conferences around the world, stated that: "As OONA's Free Entertainment Trilogy gives consumers the Best of Three Worlds: Live and VOD TV; Music Channels, & Video Gaming; we are working to ensure that they follow optimum digital health practices. When it comes to gaming, these include: restricting playing time, and having regular breaks; avoiding violent games (something that OONA does not broadcast); and using a low blue light on their devices".
Video Gaming Shown to Boost Memory
A
growing body of evidence shows that video gaming can cause changes in
many regions of the brain [1]
Image credit: Improb.com
Video Games & Positive Brain Changes
Whether it applies to Millennial Gamers (age 18 to 34); Gen X Gamers (age 35 to 54); Boomer Gamers (age 55 to 64); or younger or older gamers, there appear to be benefits. Gaming addicts have structural and functional transformations within their brain's neural reward system. In fact, in 2017, some 116 scientific studies were analysed in order to ascertain how video games influence our brain functioning and behaviour, The results were published in the renowned medical journal, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience [1].
Image credit: Mercola.com
Whether it applies to Millennial Gamers (age 18 to 34); Gen X Gamers (age 35 to 54); Boomer Gamers (age 55 to 64); or younger or older gamers, there appear to be benefits. Gaming addicts have structural and functional transformations within their brain's neural reward system. In fact, in 2017, some 116 scientific studies were analysed in order to ascertain how video games influence our brain functioning and behaviour, The results were published in the renowned medical journal, Frontiers in Human Neuroscience [1].
A 100 studies focused on functionality
and alteration in the brain's behaviour; whereas 22 of them examined
structural changes within the brain. The results indicated that:
"playing video games not only changes how our brains perform but
also their structure. For example, video game use is known to affect
attention... [Moreover] video game players display improvements in
several types of attention, including sustained attention and
selective attention. Furthermore, the regions of the brain that play
a role in attention are more efficient in gamers compared with
non-gamers, and they require less activation to stay focused on
demanding tasks" [1].
In addition to this, the research also indicates that video gamers actually increase: "the size and competence of parts of the brain responsible for identifying visual and spatial relationships among objects. In long-term gamers and individuals who had volunteered to follow a video game training plan, the right hippocampus was enlarged" [1].
In addition to this, the research also indicates that video gamers actually increase: "the size and competence of parts of the brain responsible for identifying visual and spatial relationships among objects. In long-term gamers and individuals who had volunteered to follow a video game training plan, the right hippocampus was enlarged" [1].
And although the study author naturally referred to the downside of this pastime, namely, internet gaming addiction [1]; as long as users enjoy gaming in balanced measures, with plenty of breaks in between, for example, just playing for a set period of time, or just when commuting, etc., then everything should be hunky dory.
OONA's Founder and CEO, government advisor, digital strategist and AI expert, Christophe Hochart, who is also a university lecturer, and popular key speaker at industry conferences around the world, stated that: "As OONA's Free Entertainment Trilogy gives consumers the Best of Three Worlds: Live and VOD TV; Music Channels, & Video Gaming; we are working to ensure that they follow optimum digital health practices. When it comes to gaming, these include: restricting playing time, and having regular breaks; avoiding violent games (something that OONA does not broadcast); and using a low blue light on their devices".
Video Gaming Shown to Boost Memory
"Brain
training can stimulate meaningful and lasting changes" [1]
Research which was conducted in 2013,
by Scientists at the University of California-San Francisco, and published in the scientific
journal, Nature, showed
that by using: "a specially designed 3-D video game, cognitive
performance could be improved in older adults, and some of the
adverse effects on the brain associated with aging, reversed"
[1].
The study was carried out over a four
week period, with subjects aged between 60 and 85 years. Incredibly, their: "improved
performance on the game surpassed that of individuals in their 20s
playing the game for the first time. Moreover, two other significant
cognitive areas were improved: working memory and sustained
attention. These skills were maintained 6 months after completion of
their training" [1].
Moreover, research undertaken by UCI's neurobiologists, determined that: "playing 3-D video games could also boost the formation of memories" [1]. Students joined either a 2-D or 3-D video gaming environment. And after a 2 week gaming period of watching video games for half an hour each day, the test subjects underwent memory tests involving the hippocampus [1].
Moreover, research undertaken by UCI's neurobiologists, determined that: "playing 3-D video games could also boost the formation of memories" [1]. Students joined either a 2-D or 3-D video gaming environment. And after a 2 week gaming period of watching video games for half an hour each day, the test subjects underwent memory tests involving the hippocampus [1].
Compared to the 2D group, the subjects
in the 3-D group showed substantially higher scores on their memory
test: "The 3-D group's memory performance increased by 12% - the
same amount that memory performance usually declines by between 45
and 70 years of age" [1]. This is because 3-D games are more
complex to learn, and comprise a great deal more spatial information
which viewers need to take in.
Image credit: University of Connecticut
The
Amazing Benefits of Strategy Video Gaming
This form of gaming has "shown
promise in improving brain function among older adults and may
provide protection against dementia and Alzheimer's disease"
[1]. Chandramallika Basak, a professor at The Center for Vital
Longevity & School of Behavioral and Brain Sciences, University
of Texas, noted that: "If the target is to improve older adults'
cognitive control, reasoning, and higher-order cognitive skills, and
stave off dementia and Alzheimer's disease as long as possible, then
maybe strategy games are the way to go" [1]. And if
pharmaceuticals with all their unwelcome side effects can be avoided,
or delayed, then having fun gaming in order to stay in optimum mental
health, is a great way to roll!
Boosting a Higher IQ
"Correlational studies have consistently revealed that young people who play video games extensively have, on average, higher IQs and perform better on a wide variety of cognitive tests of perceptual and mental ability than do non-gamers" [4].
Cognitive Advantage
Multiple research trials have shown substantial improvement in the cognitive abilities of previous non-gamers. These findings were compiled by expert, Peter Gray, PhD, back in 2015, and published in Psychology Today. And more have followed. For example, a Psychological Bulletin article penned last year by Benoit Bediou et al., gave an overview of their analysis of a large number of correlational studies. These indicated that: "overall, [there are] strong positive relationships between the amount of time gaming and high scores on tests of perception, top-down attention, spatial cognition, multitasking, and cognitive flexibility (ability to switch strategies quickly when old ones strategies don’t work)" [4]. Moreover, the researchers' analysis of the intervention information suggested: "that even just 10 to 30 hours of video play, over the duration of an experiment, significantly improved performance on tests of perception, attention, spatial cognition, and cognitive flexibility" [4].
The Effects of Different Types of Video Games
As you may imagine, different kinds of video games, stimulate different varieties of mental abilities. For example, when compared to quick-paced action games: puzzle games and strategy role-playing, exercise problem-solving skills which are by nature, more reflective. Of note: "Both correlational and longitudinal research have indicated that play at these games improves general problem-solving ability and may even result in higher academic grades" [4].
In 2017, David Moffat et al., analysed the immediate effects of video gaming on young adults' creativity, by employing the Torrance Tests, both prior to, and and immediately after, they had taken part in a game for 30 minutes. The overall results showed: "a large, significant gain in creative thinking, especially in that aspect of creative thinking referred to as flexibility. This finding is quite similar to findings in previous research" [4].
Image credit: phys.org
The Benefits For Children Aged 6 to 11
In 2016, the Mailman School of Mental Health at Columbia University, undertook a huge study to put the spotlight on video gamers within this age bracket. It comprised 3195 children, and involved their teachers and parents answering questionnaires relating to each child’s emotional, social and intellectual functioning. The main discovery indicated: "that those who played video games for 5 hours a week or more, evidenced significantly higher intellectual functioning, higher academic achievement, better peer relationships, and fewer mental health difficulties than those who played such games less or not at all" [4].
Motivational Benefits
Image credit: learningworksforkids.com
Emotional Benefits
Research which examines child gamers' own perceptions on the advantages of gaming, shows that they frequently acknowledge: "how video play helps them to deal better with the stress and frustrations of their non-play life [4].
Social Advantages
Wrapping Up
"Correlational studies have consistently revealed that young people who play video games extensively have, on average, higher IQs and perform better on a wide variety of cognitive tests of perceptual and mental ability than do non-gamers" [4].
Cognitive Advantage
Multiple research trials have shown substantial improvement in the cognitive abilities of previous non-gamers. These findings were compiled by expert, Peter Gray, PhD, back in 2015, and published in Psychology Today. And more have followed. For example, a Psychological Bulletin article penned last year by Benoit Bediou et al., gave an overview of their analysis of a large number of correlational studies. These indicated that: "overall, [there are] strong positive relationships between the amount of time gaming and high scores on tests of perception, top-down attention, spatial cognition, multitasking, and cognitive flexibility (ability to switch strategies quickly when old ones strategies don’t work)" [4]. Moreover, the researchers' analysis of the intervention information suggested: "that even just 10 to 30 hours of video play, over the duration of an experiment, significantly improved performance on tests of perception, attention, spatial cognition, and cognitive flexibility" [4].
The Effects of Different Types of Video Games
As you may imagine, different kinds of video games, stimulate different varieties of mental abilities. For example, when compared to quick-paced action games: puzzle games and strategy role-playing, exercise problem-solving skills which are by nature, more reflective. Of note: "Both correlational and longitudinal research have indicated that play at these games improves general problem-solving ability and may even result in higher academic grades" [4].
Boosting Creativity
In 2017, David Moffat et al., analysed the immediate effects of video gaming on young adults' creativity, by employing the Torrance Tests, both prior to, and and immediately after, they had taken part in a game for 30 minutes. The overall results showed: "a large, significant gain in creative thinking, especially in that aspect of creative thinking referred to as flexibility. This finding is quite similar to findings in previous research" [4].
The Benefits For Children Aged 6 to 11
In 2016, the Mailman School of Mental Health at Columbia University, undertook a huge study to put the spotlight on video gamers within this age bracket. It comprised 3195 children, and involved their teachers and parents answering questionnaires relating to each child’s emotional, social and intellectual functioning. The main discovery indicated: "that those who played video games for 5 hours a week or more, evidenced significantly higher intellectual functioning, higher academic achievement, better peer relationships, and fewer mental health difficulties than those who played such games less or not at all" [4].
Motivational Benefits
Gamers are challenged because the
videos they play are often geared to perpetually increase the tier of
difficulty. In fact, many gamers have reported that their use of
various strategies, and their unwavering persistence, makes them
successful. To that end, in 2013, Matthew Ventura et al., came up
with a hypothesis that: "gamers would be more persistent—less
likely to give up early—in solving difficult problems than would
non-gamers"[4].
When the researchers conducted a study
on this phenomenon with students, they consequently affirmed this
hypothesis. They established that: "those who played video games
many hours a week persisted significantly longer at attempting to
solve very difficult anagrams and riddles than did those who played
video games less or not at all. This gain in persistence may help
explain the positive correlations between video gaming and [better]
school grades" [4].
Emotional Benefits
Research which examines child gamers' own perceptions on the advantages of gaming, shows that they frequently acknowledge: "how video play helps them to deal better with the stress and frustrations of their non-play life [4].
Social Advantages
As you may have guessed, there are
numerous means which empower video gamers with excellent social
advantages. For a start, regulated online social interaction, such as
that offered across the board by OONA, and other leading platforms,
can be highly beneficial. Friends enjoy playing the same video games
together on their smartphones, either in the same place, or further
afield. Moreover, youngsters often speak about gaming and their
favourite games, with their friends, even when they are not playing
[4].
When youngsters are deprived of video
gaming, it can have a detrimental knock-on effect, as they will not
be able to join in conversations about gaming with their friends. To
that end: "it is not surprising that research, such as the study
mentioned earlier, involving children 6-11 years old, has revealed
positive correlations between video gaming and social competence"
[4].
More About OONA
OONA offers an unrivalled 3-in-1 FREE
Unlimited Entertainment Bundle:
Live VOD/TV, Video Games & Music Channels; the
chance to earn daily virtual currency tcoin rewards for interacting &
watching what they love; & fun tools & stickers for sharing &
editing their favourite shows, music and games.
OONA
TV is a free ad-supported, next generation virtual entertainment
platform. A first of its kind, OONA consolidates the most popular
apps with live TV, SVOD, TVOD, music, games and YouTube channels in a
singular platform operating on iOS and Android smartphones, Android
TV and Smart TV applications. Using cutting-edge user engagement
technology, OONA generates customized ads for viewers and rewards
them with a virtual currency called tcoins® as part of a loyalty
reward system which can be redeemed for popular branded goods and
services.
To enhance the user experience, OONA offers multiple features including a genie-in-the-app known as OONAbot, to personalize
the user journey as well as unique tools and stickers to use while
interacting with friends & family, and sharing on social media platforms. As the vMVPD of the future, OONA is set to revolutionize
the way we consume content with much more control, flexibility and
monetary benefits for consumers and businesses. Currently, OONA has
over 250 subscription-free channels including movies, TV programs,
live sports, documentaries, and local and global breaking news, which
is available in Indonesia and set to roll out in 2019 Q3 across
Vietnam, the Philippines, US, and the Middle East.
In summary, the substantial positive
research on the multiple benefits of video gaming is overwhelming;
and as this phenomenon grows bigger by the day, more studies by the
world's leading research facilities will continue. And although, as
OONA's CEO, Christophe Hochart points out, various parameters for
optimum digital health need to be followed; if this is done, then the benefits to all age groups are nothing less than outstanding.
Now, anyone in the US, the Philippines, Vietnam and Israel, who wants to
enjoy the benefits of OONA's 3-in-1 FREE Unlimited Entertainment
Bundle: Live VOD/TV; Video Games & Music Channels; as well as the
chance to earn daily virtual currency tcoin rewards for interacting &
watching what they love; & sharing & editing their favourite
shows, music and games, with fun tools and stickers, can download the
OONA app next month. With other countries following next year.
So downloading OONA's 3 in 1 FREE bundle which includes fun video games that can boost your brain's mental agility, improve your cognition, give you a higher IQ, and enhance your memory, is surely the way to go. And as this is an AVOD service, there are no subscriptions, and no one will have to pay a dime for their unlimited entertainment!
So downloading OONA's 3 in 1 FREE bundle which includes fun video games that can boost your brain's mental agility, improve your cognition, give you a higher IQ, and enhance your memory, is surely the way to go. And as this is an AVOD service, there are no subscriptions, and no one will have to pay a dime for their unlimited entertainment!
References
[1].
Nichols, Hanna (2017). "How video games affect the
brain." Medical News Today.
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/318345.php
Accessed 18 Aug. 2019.
[2]. Niu, Mark
(2018). "Mobile gaming revenue takes over PC and console games."
CGNT.
https://america.cgtn.com/2018/02/27/mobile-gaming-revenue-takes-over-pc-and-console-games
Accessed 18 Aug. 2019.
[3]. Entertainment Software Association (2019). "2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry."
[3]. Entertainment Software Association (2019). "2019 Essential Facts About the Computer and Video Game Industry."
https://www.theesa.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/ESA_Essential_facts_2019_final.pdf Accessed 18 Aug. 2019.
[4].
Gray, Peter (2018). "Benefits of Play Revealed in
Research on Video Gaming." Psychology Today.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/freedom-learn/201803/benefits-play-revealed-in-research-video-gaming Accessed 18 Aug. 2019.
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