Why Playing Video Games Is a Valid Hobby for All Ages

"To understand the impact of video games on children's and adolescents' development, a more balanced perspective is needed" – Isabela Granic, PhD, Radboud University Nijmegen in The Netherlands.

There are tons of stereotypes concerning video games, gaming platforms, and the gaming community at large. Granted, many of these stereotypes have some amount of truth, but they don't capture the entire truth for many of the gamers they plan to describe.

For instance, many people think engaging in video games is a hobby for predominantly young adult males often decked in their parents' basements without much enthusiasm for many other things. However, the reality is that gaming has morphed beyond demography and now encompasses a vast, diverse section of the global population.

There's also the conception that a gamer can easily transmute their pastime from a hobby to an addiction, making them forgo personal hygiene, skip meals, and miss sleep just to keep in touch with their interests. Also, here's another rather unjustifiable claim.

In the rest of this post, you'll look at what researchers in science say about healthy gaming, plus the benefits of gaming as a hobby. You'll also see answers to some questions like “Is gaming a valid hobby?,” “Is playing video games a hobby?”, and more.

Are All Video Games Good for You?

Is playing video games a good hobby? Engaging in this activity isn't a fundamentally bad thing. However, it becomes an addiction when it becomes excessive, interfering with other vital aspects of life like daily chores, sleep, daily exercise, relationships, school, or work.

It’s also worth noting that video games typically have age ratings, with different needs and limits for gamers of different ages. So, while taking part for the same amount of time can readily make a harmless hobby for one, someone else may lose themselves and experience negative repercussions for addictive behaviors or gaming patterns.

While a youngster may fly with doing something like sitting in front of their PC on the average of 2-3 hours daily during the winter break with their gamepads, older folks who follow the same routine may begin to neglect exercise or demonstrate low self-esteem, especially if they seemingly perform poorly at most outings.

But here’s the catch; there are many reasons why a gaming hobby can be an exciting leisure activity for everyone, regardless of their age.

5 Reasons Choosing Video Games as a Hobby Is Recommended for Everyone

“To make an embarrassing admission, I like video games. That's what got me into software engineering when I was a kid. I wanted to make money so I could buy a better computer to play better video games - nothing like saving the world.” – Elon Musk.

Various research & studies have been conducted for decades on the negative effects of playing violent video games, including aggression, addictive behaviors, and depression. However, researchers at the American Psychological Association like Isabela Granic, think that there has to be a more balanced approach to such views.

According to her, when people play games, they may develop a range of cognitive skills like spatial navigation, reasoning, memory, and perception. Beyond the darker side of gaming, here are four helpful reasons why engaging in video games is not a waste of time.

1. They Can Improve Your Physical Health

Studies have shown that playing video games regularly may increase gray matter in the brain and boost brain connectivity. Similarly, researchers found that when people keep playing controller-based games, they’ll improve their manual dexterity and make fewer mistakes when performing advanced procedures than others.

Special games have served as physical therapy to help stroke victims regain control of their wrists and hands. Moreover, thanks to VR gaming technology, mobile game programmers have created systems that can help gamers become more physically active as they make new friends from other parts of the world from the comfort of their homes. Other physical health benefits of gaming include vision improvement and improved motor skills.

2. Video Games Can Improve Your Mental Health

Researchers have found that some video games can boost your mood and facilitate improved heart rhythms. With such benefits, they may also help relieve stress, which is why some video games have been used in mental health therapy in the 21st Century.

3. Games Can Make You Smarter

Thanks to the complexity of open-world, mission-based, and multi-level games that multitask players and take several hours to solve, reaching the next level in a video game swiftly can translate to the real world.

According to long-term research published in 2013, children who engage in strategy-based games showed an improvement in problem-solving skills – and tended towards improved grades – in the subsequent school year. If you want to learn about resilience and overcome challenges faster than before, having a dedicated video game time on your schedule could turn out to be a very successful move.

4. Gaming Often May Give More Social Skills

According to a study that involved children, video game players are more likely to have excellent social skills and build better relationships with others. That’s largely due to the social and collaborative aspects of some video games. You may want to start prioritizing gaming if you’d like to improve your social skills in the most harmless way possible.

5. You Can Earn Money Playing Games

Many gamers will probably derive joy from the fact that they can earn money from playing their favorite titles. In recent years, the gaming industry has given rise to new careers. You can make life-changing money by competing in video game competitions and winning the grand prize.

Games like Hamster Kombat, Valorant, League of Legends, and more provide professional gamers an avenue to earn cash from them. Also, a different type of gaming that many people are engaging in is gambling games. Many casinos offer gamers a chance to participate in their titles and make money from them.

However, while you can earn from these titles, there are some important things to note. The first is you must choose a credible and reliable platform. To discover the top operators offering these games, if you live in Canada, you can consider visiting review platforms, as they would have done the hard work of selecting casinos with excellent offers and features, including the latest igaming platforms.

Final Thoughts

If you've read to this point from the start, there's definitely no doubt you know the answer to the question, "Is video gaming a hobby?” anymore. Beyond its immense relaxation potential as a fun hobby and safe space for everyone, it can help improve people’s decision-making skills, physical health status, and even socialization skills.

However, gamers want to note that a video game addiction may spiral from excessive game time and lead to addictive behaviors like compulsion to play or withdrawal from social situations. The most beneficial way to develop and use these skills (social and mental health) would come from a moderate gaming time that keeps a tab on your all-around health and doesn't disrupt your requisite routines.