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Scientists have said that playing video games can make you smarter but not regular exercise. Researchers found that gamers scored better in memory, attention and reasoning skills than those who did not play video games. The results also showed that 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week – in line with NHS guidelines – did not improve a person’s memory. and thinking skills, but instead boosted their mental health.
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What was found in the research
The team described the findings, published in an online portal called PsyArXiv, as “surprising” because they contradict the widely held belief that exercise can improve cognition skills such as learning, attention, perception and memory.
Professor Adrian Owen, a neuroscientist at Western University in Canada, said: “People who play video games frequently, that is, five or more hours per week for the same type of game, perform cognitively like people 13.7 years younger on average.” (Who didn’t play video games). “Individuals who engaged in occasional video game play, playing all types of games less than five hours per week, performed as well as people 5.2 years younger.”
They also reported that those who did not meet NHS recommendations for physical activity were “twice as likely to suffer from depression and 1.5 times more likely to have generalized anxiety disorder”.
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Surprising Benefits of Video Games
Professor Owen said, “I was surprised that video games improved cognition, whereas regular exercise did not, somewhat because we have shown conclusively in the past that computerized ‘brain training’ games do not improve cognitive function. However, the kind of games that gamers play today are actually quite different from consumer brain training games, they are highly engaging, strategic and require visual attention and processing through intense repetition and practice. Can enhance problem-solving abilities.”
He further explained, “Any gamer also knows that these games are designed to activate the brain’s reward system, causing the release of neurotransmitters such as dopamine. It may also have long-term effects on cognitive function. As for exercise not affecting cognition, this was also a surprise, given World Health Organization recommendations that moderate exercise may benefit cognition.”
“However, we only looked at the long-term effects of regular exercise, so it may well be that a brief burst of vigorous exercise affects cognition – as many people feel ‘sharper’ after a workout.”
For the study, conducted by Professor Owen and his colleagues at the Science Museum Group in the UK, 1,000 adults aged 18 to 87 were asked to fill out a survey, which included questions about their health and lifestyle, including medical conditions, level of Answers were given. Education, and employment status. They also participated in brain tests that measured various aspects of cognition such as learning, attention, perception and memory skills.
Participants were also asked to estimate how many hours they spent playing video games per week during the past 12 months. These included puzzle games like Minecraft, Civilization, Hearthstone and Roblox, action role-playing games like The Witcher, Mass Effect, Fallout 4, Skyrim, Grand Theft Auto and Assassin’s Creed, and sports games like FIFA, NHL, and more. Mario Kart, Need for Speed and Rocket League.
Professor Owen said that in the future these findings “may help us choose activities that promote healthy cognitive ageing.” He will present the research on 19 October at the Manchester Science Festival, which runs from 18-27 October at the Museum of Science and Industry. In the city.
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