The most common Misguided beliefs in Social gaming

Despite the persistent stigma that they’re "corrupting the young" and are pointless wastes of time, video games have become one of the most popular ways for people to pass the time. There are countless parents out there blaming video games for everything from poor grades to violent and rebellious behavior – all while conveniently neglecting to realize what part everything else might play. The Internet has taken a hit too, particularly since it lets people download games, which gives players even less control over what games their children might be playing.



Gaming has expanded and worked its way into the mainstream thanks to Nintendo’s interesting marketing efforts. The campaign hinges on a simultaneous push of the Wii as a game console while also nudging video games out of its stereotype to generate mass market appeal. A key example of this is "Wii Fit," which has been used to encourage the elderly to exercise and move, helping them keep mobile while also being entertained.



For many games, moderated play has been known to help children diagnose with ADHD to better focus on a single task. It also allows the children’s minds to relax and enter a more stable, tranquil state than normal without the use of medication. The state seems to be related to the focus of achieving some goal or objective in the game, giving the child something to focus on for far longer than they normally would.



The studies also noted that the use of video games is equally good (if not better) as the use of medication; the latter can sometime cause adverse effects to the body. Attention span, IQ levels and neurological feedback may also be increased.



Several video games out there, similar to chess, also require a serious ability to plan strategically, examine all possible solutions and then eventually choose the most effective one. Games like chess and Sudoku are believed to be some of the best cognitive enhancing activities a person can play. In other words, they serve as mental workouts. With that in mind, many modern games, even those "shoot ‘em up" ones are created in order to promote neurological function, memory, logic, cognition, and intellectual capacity.



Completing such games successfully would also logically give the players some sense of achievement as they move on to the next level. Because of this, players are motivated work harder and to become result-driven and goal-oriented. Hopefully, this kind of mentality will be eventually applied into everyday life, so that these individuals can put the same amount of concentration, hard work and determination that they do for the video game, towards real-life ambitions and desires.



Completing some games can be very challenging by their very nature, which can give players a sense of achievement in making progress. The industry is laden with examples of games that have become hits simply because they managed to motivate people to play for longer hours to achieve some in-game goal. In theory, this sort of mentality can be applied to real life, provided those people can be convinced to put that much effort, creativity, skill, and thought into real-life goals and objectives.



Despite the negative press and the occasional overly violent – to the point of ludicrousness – game, the industry and gaming itself aren’t all bad. The trick, of course, is moderation. So while it might induce glares in people if someone wants to and download games, try to remember that gaming has positive things to offer aside from being fun.