Editing Video game (section)

===Beneficial uses===
{{Tone|section|date=June 2023}}
{{main|Video games in education|Video game behavioral effects}}

Besides their entertainment value, appropriately-designed video games have been seen to provide value in education across several ages and comprehension levels. Learning principles found in video games have been identified as possible techniques with which to reform the U.S. education system.<ref>{{cite book | last = Gee | first = James Paul | title = What Video Games Have to Teach us About Literacy and Learning | publisher = Palgrave Macmillan | year = 2003 | isbn = 978-1-4039-6169-3 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/whatvideogamesha0000geej }}</ref> It has been noticed that gamers adopt an attitude while playing that is of such high concentration, they do not realize they are learning, and that if the same attitude could be adopted at school, education would enjoy significant benefits.<ref>{{cite news | author = James Paul Gee | year = 2007 | url = https://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/view.html | title = Wired 11.05: View | publisher = Codenet, Inc. | access-date = 4 December 2007 | display-authors = etal | url-status=live | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080517033243/http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/11.05/view.html | archive-date = 17 May 2008 | df = dmy-all }}</ref>{{Dubious|date=June 2023}} Students are found to be "learning by doing" while playing video games while fostering creative thinking.<ref>{{cite journal | title = Video games | journal = CQ Researcher | volume = 16 | pages = 937–960 | year = 2006 | id = cqresrre2006111000 | author = Glazer, S.}}</ref>

Video games are also believed to be beneficial to the mind and body. It has been shown that action video game players have better [[hand–eye coordination]] and [[Motor coordination|visuo-motor skills]], such as their resistance to [[distraction]], their sensitivity to information in the [[peripheral vision]] and their ability to count briefly presented objects, than nonplayers.<ref>{{cite journal| author-link = Shawn Green (game designer)| title = Action video game modifies visual selective attention| journal = Nature| volume = 423| pages = 534–537| year = 2003| id = Green & Bavelier| doi = 10.1038/nature01647| author = Green, C. Shawn| pmid = 12774121| last2 = Bavelier| first2 = Daphne| issue = 6939| bibcode = 2003Natur.423..534G| s2cid = 1521273| url = https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:103890| doi-access = free| access-date = 13 September 2020| archive-date = 6 June 2020| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20200606033158/https://archive-ouverte.unige.ch/unige:103890| url-status = live}}</ref> Researchers found that such enhanced abilities could be acquired by training with action games, involving challenges that switch attention between different locations, but not with games requiring concentration on single objects.{{citation needed|date=June 2023}} A 2018 systematic review found evidence that video gaming training had positive effects on cognitive and emotional skills in the adult population, especially with young adults.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Pallavicini|first1=Federica|last2=Ferrari|first2=Ambra|last3=Mantovani|first3=Fabrizia|date=2018-11-07|title=Video Games for Well-Being: A Systematic Review on the Application of Computer Games for Cognitive and Emotional Training in the Adult Population|journal=Frontiers in Psychology|volume=9|page=2127|doi=10.3389/fpsyg.2018.02127|issn=1664-1078|pmc=6234876|pmid=30464753|doi-access=free}}</ref> A 2019 systematic review also added support for the claim that video games are beneficial to the brain, although the beneficial effects of video gaming on the brain differed by video games types.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Brilliant T.|first1=Denilson|last2=Nouchi|first2=Rui|last3=Kawashima|first3=Ryuta|date=2019-09-25|title=Does Video Gaming Have Impacts on the Brain: Evidence from a Systematic Review|journal=Brain Sciences|volume=9|issue=10|page=251|doi=10.3390/brainsci9100251|issn=2076-3425|pmc=6826942|pmid=31557907|doi-access=free}}</ref>

[[File:How video games can boost your mental health.webm|thumb|start=4.8|How can video games boost your mental health? – Max Birk ([[Eindhoven University of Technology]])]]

Organisers of video gaming events, such as the organisers of the ''D-Lux'' video game festival in [[Dumfries]], Scotland, have emphasised the positive aspects video games can have on [[mental health]]. Organisers, mental health workers and mental health nurses at the event emphasised the relationships and friendships that can be built around video games and how playing games can help people learn about others as a precursor to discussing the person's mental health.<ref>{{cite news |date= 11 February 2020 |title= D-Lux: The video game festival talking about mental health |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-south-scotland-51402936 |work= BBC News |access-date= 27 June 2021 |archive-date= 27 July 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210727161310/https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-scotland-south-scotland-51402936 |url-status= live }}</ref> A study in 2020 from [[Oxford University]] also suggested that playing video games can be a benefit to a person's mental health. The report of 3,274 gamers, all over the age of 18, focused on the games [[Animal Crossing: New Horizons]] and [[Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville]] and used actual play-time data. The report found that those that played more games tended to report greater "wellbeing".<ref>{{cite news |last=Hern |first=Alex |date=16 November 2020 |title=Video gaming can benefit mental health, find Oxford academics |work=[[The Guardian]] |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/nov/16/video-gaming-can-benefit-mental-health-find-oxford-academics |url-status=live |access-date=27 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623054448/https://www.theguardian.com/games/2020/nov/16/video-gaming-can-benefit-mental-health-find-oxford-academics |archive-date=23 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last= Chilton |first= Louis |date= 16 November 2020 |title= Video games can provide benefits to mental health, suggests new Oxford University study |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/games/video-games-mental-health-study-oxford-b1723729.html |work= The Independent |access-date= 27 June 2021 |archive-date= 2 November 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20211102181814/http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/games/video-games-mental-health-study-oxford-b1723729.html |url-status= live }}</ref> Also in 2020, [[computer science]] professor [[Regan Mandryk]] of the [[University of Saskatchewan]] said her research also showed that video games can have health benefits such as reducing [[Psychological stress|stress]] and improving mental health. The university's research studied all age groups – "from pre-literate children through to older adults living in long term care homes" – with a main focus on 18 to 55-year-olds.<ref>{{cite news |date= 10 May 2020 |title= U of S research finds video games can relieve stress, improve mental health |url= https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/u-of-s-research-finds-video-games-can-relieve-stress-improve-mental-health-1.5563824 |work= [[CBC News]] |access-date= 5 August 2021 |archive-date= 4 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210804232447/https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/u-of-s-research-finds-video-games-can-relieve-stress-improve-mental-health-1.5563824 |url-status= live }}</ref>

A study of gamers attitudes towards gaming which was reported about in 2018 found that [[millennials]] use video games as a key strategy for coping with stress. In the study of 1,000 gamers, 55% said that it "helps them to unwind and relieve stress ... and half said they see the value in gaming as a method of escapism to help them deal with daily work pressures".<ref>{{cite news |last= Bailey |first= Grant |date= 9 February 2018 |title= Playing video games is a key strategy for coping with stress, study finds |url= https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/video-games-stress-playing-strategy-key-gamers-study-a8202541.html |work= The Independent |access-date= 5 August 2021 |archive-date= 4 August 2021 |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20210804232444/https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/video-games-stress-playing-strategy-key-gamers-study-a8202541.html |url-status= live }}</ref>