It is interesting to observe that things that were associated with negative outcomes in the past are thought of as beneficial today. Much credit has to be given to a long line of researchers, who dared to look beyond the obvious and worked hard to find alternatives.
One such change can be seen in the gradual acceptance of mobile gaming, and its associated benefits. Previously thought of as a time-wasting exercise that only hindered social and cognitive skill development, mobile gaming today is being associated with numerous surprising benefits.
Good for Mental Health
An article in Time Magazine points out that “gaming is the neurological opposite of depression.” The article talks about brain scans of people playing online games that reveal high activity in the regions of the brain associated with the rewards pathway system. In an ordinary person, such activity is related to motivation and optimism, but for someone suffering from depression, this brain region shows no activity at all. There are very few alternatives to the feeling of victory in boosting one’s mood, says an article on Lifehack. Getting past difficult levels on mobile games can help in mood enhancement. Mobile games have been found to help people cope better with stress and anxiety issues. According to research conducted by University College of London, digital games have been associated with facilitating psychological detachment from work, thus aiding in post-work relaxation.
Increasing Social Interactions
Until very recently, online and mobile gaming was being blamed for hindering social interactions and leading to unhealthy social behaviors and isolation. However, with the advent of modern online multiplayer gaming formats, online communities of gamers are flourishing. These communities offer players across the world an opportunity to interact with like-minded people. The urgency of blockchain technology is to enable companies to do this in a safe and private environment.
Gip Cutrino, founder and CEO of mobile games aggregator, Sgame Pro™, stated that the Sgame Pro™ platform was enabling players to play traditional single-player games in asynchronous multi-player formats, encouraging greater social interaction and overcoming the complaint of social isolation that has long been associated with gaming. Sgame Pro™ is using its ERC-20 standard token, SGM, to reward players based on their time and efforts spent on its platform. The token’s ICO is scheduled for June 2018. To know more about it, visit sgamepro.io.
Benefits for the Economy
According to an article on BBC.com, the online gaming industry is giving tough competition to the film industry in terms of revenue and is fast becoming culturally significant. North America remains the second largest mobile gaming market since 2016. According to figures by Statista, at the rate at which high-end smartphones are being adopted, the industry will surpass a 60% market penetration by 2020, taking the worldwide revenue of $40.6 billion in 2017 to a three-digit figure by then.
Generating Employment
A good economy will have positive effects on the employment sector. We know how online games are proving to be good sources of income for skilled players. According to an article on Venture Beat, data from 2015 data shows that the US gaming industry consists of more than 2,457 companies, which indirectly supports 220,000 jobs and directly employs 65,678 workers in the country. These jobs, which are innovative and high-paying, help build creative communities all across the US, benefiting its economy. This employment scenario can be replicated in other nations as well.
Reducing Pain
Considered as an escape from real life, mobile gaming has proven to be a boon for some people. According to Reader's Digest, an experiment conducted by the University of Washington, Harborview Burn Center, found that patients with severe burns experienced an average 30%-50% reduction in pain when they played online games. Amazing things can happen when the brain is fully engaged.
Imparting Cognitive Skills to Children
From problem solving capabilities to increasing memory function, supervised mobile gaming can work wonders for children. According to Factorytwofour, certain games can help children cope with issues of dexterity and also help kids with autism.
Gamers are Good Surgeons
With all the talk of developing dexterity and focus, this comes hardly as a surprise. According to Positive Health Wellness, studies have associated online games with developing specific skills, like performing intricate surgeries and focusing on multiple screens at a time, which surgeons are experts in.
With mobile gaming offering so much to individuals, businesses and even countries, the future of the industry certainly looks bright. And, with blockchain bringing in transparent, safe and rewarding ways to engage in mobile gaming, we have a lot to look forward to.
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