Pros And Cons of Being A Gamer
Do you believe that something is always an equivalent to something? Like there is always a consequence, another version, another side and another story. Which we think is necessary in this world that we are living in and we think that it is always needed to put and have balance on everything. It is a need in finding the right balance in every aspect.
This same goes with gaming.
Some people in the gaming world seem to have difficulties in finding the right balance in every aspect of their life and gameplay which we must admit that it is really hard to do. If you are a gamer, you should always have the awareness. You should be aware of yourself and what you are doing because if you are aware then most likely you will learn on how to take care of yourself while still enjoying.
If a gamer has a sense of awareness, therefore, there will be times that he will question himself or herself such as, “Am I playing too much?”, “Have I eaten yet?”, or “Should I sleep now?”. If you have asked yourself and you know the right thing to do, you will know the answer to your own questions. It is all about finding the right balance in every aspect.
In order to help you take care of yourself and manage your time, we listed some of the Pros and Cons of being a gamer. So grab a pen and check out which one you think you are experiencing right now so that you can apply either prevention or correction action. Let us start!
Pros Of Being A Gamer
1. As a gamer, playing can help stress
Having fun makes us young. We all love playing games, not just video games but any other games including physical games like sports and more. So, gaming is not just for kids but it is for all ages. From toddler to kids to young adults to adults and to elders, gaming is for everyone.
There are actually games that are light and fun because not all games are intense and brutal. Gaming genre option is diverse. Even in choosing a game to play, finding the right balance in every aspect is a must.
To other people, having pets helps alleviate stress. To some people, baking can be their way of finding relaxation during the weekend. And some other people find gaming as their way to escape stress in their work, school, or even in their own home.
Yes, we need to prioritize things but when you are feeling burdened and tired. Find something that can relieve and relax. Have fun because life is too short to get stressed!
2. As a gamer, you can improve your Eye-Hand Coordination;
By playing games like action video games, you can develop your eye-hand coordination. You can have a fast reaction and fast reflex when you move. You can develop a sense of multitasking if you practice your eye-hand coordination with games.
Some of the games played by gamers need hand-eye tasks such as first person shooter games where you need to walk, jump, run and shoot your opponents. You need to do all these movements at one time and that is where you start developing your skills.
3. As a gamer, you can develop your Strategic Thinking Skills;
Some games can help you develop your strategic thinking skill like for example, chess. But if you prefer to play video games, that does not mean that you will lose the chance to develop this skill, because you can! Finding the right balance in every aspect, right? Most of the video games require strategies in order to solve a puzzle, discover a mystery, or defeat an enemy. You cannot just simply shoot bullets or throw bombs at your opponent when playing video games, you need a strategy to win.
You can actually apply this skill in your real life. Little did you know that it affects every situation in your life. Do you want a proof? Sure. You have your own business and then one of your staff causes trouble with a customer. What are you going to do? Will you just cry on a corner? You won’t because you have a strategy and you are most likely prepared in times like these and that is the time to perform your strategy and win back your customer.
That goes with gaming, too. Form a strategy and there is a great chance to win in the end.
4. As a gamer, you can practice your Sense of Commitment;
Every serious gamer tends to finish all the games that they are playing. Actually, some gamers can finish a game in just one sitting because they have a sense of commitment but do not forget that finding the right balance in every aspect can help you develop this skill even more.
Some people underestimate a game because they might think that it is just an easy game but we are all different. For you, it may be simple and easy but for some it can be the most difficult game that they ever played. While in some cases, someone won’t let you play this game because they underestimate you that you cannot finish this game because it is really hard. You might get challenged by that which is a good thing because when we are challenged, we persevere more.
In our daily lives, there will be times that we will get knocked down by people or the universe itself but, always learn to persevere and stand up no matter what it takes.
5. As a gamer, you will improve your Decision-Making Skills;
There will always be consequences in every choice that we make that is why we need to consider finding the right balance in every aspect. We cannot have it all figured out at once, right? Most of the games require decision-making skills especially if you are playing an open-world game where every decision you make will have a dramatic effect on your character or your gameplay.
If you ever played Assassin’s Creed Odyssey, then you will know exactly what we are talking about. This is an open-world and an open-dialogue kind of game; you will be given the chance to choose which one to reply to someone your character is talking to. Yes, you can simply pick one but always remember that it is like a ripple effect which means that your decision will affect your fate.
There is no such thing as “no option” because there is always an option. We just tend to say that we don’t have an option because it is not in favor of what we want or it can be difficult on our side.
This thing always happens to human beings like us. We always face a situation where we need to decide. By waking up in the morning, we decide which food to eat during breakfast. That does not stop there because there are even bigger situations that need an accurate and solid decision like for example, a company handled by a CEO. Your everyday decision will not just affect you as a person or as a CEO, think of your subordinates and company members because they will surely be affected too.
One advice that we can give — always aim to make the right decision.
6. As a gamer, you can enhance your Problem-Solving Skills;
Unfortunately, problems are part of our lives. But no need to worry because just like what we told you a while ago, something has an equivalent to something which means that in every problem that occurs, there is always an equivalent solution to that. It is all about finding the right balance in every aspect.
Every gamer is encountering problems in every game that they play but they never let that problem stop them from playing the game. They find a solution to solve it. Some of these problems are difficult missions to win and difficult levels to pass. You can also enhance your problem solving skills by playing quests, puzzles, and quizzes.
An example of a frustrating scenario that every gamers encounter is during boss battles or fighting with the bosses. This could be the hardest part of most games. If the allies of the boss are quite difficult to kill, what more with the boss, right? You may fail a few times but when you keep on playing the game, you will figure out sooner or later the perfect solution to kill the boss in the game.
7. As a gamer, you can improve your Social Skills;
Many people think that gamers are pure introverts. False. Not all gamers are introverts. There are also gamers that are extroverted or ambivert from what other people define themselves. Ambiverts are those people who consider themselves neither a total introvert nor total extrovert, they are in between based on the people that they interact with. The universe is finding the right balance in every aspect of human lives.
There are actually so called “internet friends” which you can talk to or play with. These internet friends are those people that you have met on the internet. Isn’t it super interesting that we always have one thing in common with other people? These internet friends may be from different places and different time zones but the gap does not matter.
There are co-op games that feature online multiplayers. Through these awesome games, you are able to create your team or ally in the game. You can altogether form strategies to defeat the enemies. You cannot win the game if you don’t communicate with each other because you need one solid tactical strategy to do that. And by communicating through these internet friends and gamers, the chance of developing your social skills are quite high.
8. As a gamer, you can make a living from gaming.
Who says that gaming is only about fun and games? As time goes by, many people are being smarter and creative on how to earn a living. There is nothing wrong with working hard and doing the traditional things such as going to work from early morning to late evening. We all have our own phases and preferences.
People hustle every single day. We all just wanted to live a comfortable life. Some people even work two jobs while some students have part-time jobs just to support their education and everyday life. But they managed to do this because they are eager to find the right balance in every aspect of their lives.
Many people stream on Twitch, Youtube, Facebook, and other different social media platforms. They earn from doing that.
If you are not into social media, that is fine. There are lots of video game companies that are looking for someone with passion and love for video games. You can have the chance to work with them. Just believe in yourself.
Cons Of Being A Gamer
1. As a gamer, you will be judged by the society;
When you asked people about their perception about gamers, some of their comments might be “nerds”, “game addicts”, or anything that may hurt our feelings. You know what? They will never understand.
If you’re a student and you play video games, that doesn’t mean that you don’t have time for your academics. If you’re an adult and choose to play video games, that doesn’t mean that you’re immature just because you want to escape from your stressful work. And if you’re a parent that allows your child to play video games, you are not a bad parent because you just wanted to let your child enjoy and learn things from the game.
Gaming is never a bad thing because there are benefits that you can get from it. All you have to do is find the right balance in every aspect because having or being too much is never good.
2. As a gamer, you are prone to health problems;
Finishing an entire game will take you not just an hour but some games will take you days and hours to finish them. If you are a dedicated gamer, you may be one of those people that can finish the game in just one sitting or overnight which is very unhealthy because first things first, the blood in your body is not circulating very well.
When playing for long hours, you can have backaches. You must find a comfortable position and play the game or do not play that long.
You can also have obesity because you don’t have time to exercise and let the sweat out of your body. Luckily, some video game companies and publishers incorporate exercise on gaming. It is nice that they are finding the right balance in every aspect. If you have a Wii, then might as well install a game that helps you exercise a bit.
Always remember that health is wealth.
3. As a gamer, you can have a Computer Vision Syndrome;
Many people especially gamers are experiencing computer vision syndrome also known as digital eye strain. You will be experiencing eye discomfort and visual problems because of prolonged use of computers and gadgets. If you are focused on a game, you might have a migraine, as well.
Computer Vision Syndrome is not permanent but you should not take it for granted because it may lead to temporary blurred vision with neck and shoulder pain.
To avoid digital eye strain, we have some effective tips for you!
Tip #1 — Visit your ophthalmologist.
Tip #2 — Do eyes exercises.
Tip #3 — Put proper lighting on your room.
Tip #4 — Practice distance adjusting with your computer or gadgets.
Tip #5 — Blink frequently.
4. As a gamer, you tend to isolate yourself;
When you are really into the game, you tend to lock yourself up in your room and play the whole day. If these patterns became repetitive, these can be unhealthy. We understand what you are coming from. A “me-time” is never wrong but of course, you need to socialize.
There is a book from John Donne entitled, “No Man Is An Island” which hits the reality very hard. We have always wanted to do things on our own. We don’t want help from other people. We don’t want to socialize with them and just live in this world on our own. But there will be times that you will need other people and that is okay.
Always keep in mind that you can talk about your problems. You are not alone. Try to open up with your family, your trusted friends, or with your understanding of someone special. We promise you that it is such a great relief.
5. As a gamer, you will be tempted to join Esports gambling that may lead to addiction;
When gamers are very dedicated to the game, aside from playing it for hours, gamers spend a lot of money for upgrades. Sometimes, it can be reasonable since we want to customize and upgrade our games or the characters on the games that we are playing.
When will it go wrong? It is when you spend over your budget limit and when you try to steal other people’s money just to have these things. If you are doing these kinds of things, then you have an Esports Gambling Addiction. You may avoid it if you are finding the right balance in every aspect of your gaming life.
Yes, we get it. You just wanted to upgrade your hero character or you just wanted to participate in that online game or you just wanted to be on-trend that is why you are doing these things but we are sorry to say to you that what you are doing is wrong.
You can still enjoy playing online games without gambling or stealing money for upgrades. If you really wanted to have an upgrade, then you must save up your own money. Work for it but always prioritize your needs.
6. As a gamer, there is a possibility that you might be absorbed by the brutality of some games and do it in real life;
Some people are deeply drowned into video games. Sometimes, they lose sense of reality and they forget that they exist in the real world. There’s nothing wrong in playing matured games that includes brutal fights, fist fights, shootouts and other more violent types of games but what is wrong is when you do this in real life.
We don’t mean to say that when you play these kind of gaming genres, you will automatically adapt the behavior from them but there might be a chance, and that is why as we stated on the early part of this article, awareness is very important if you are playing video games and finding the right balance in every aspect is needed.
Some things in video games are applicable in real life; we only mean the good things. If you feel like you are slowly drowning on this behaviour, do not be ashamed and afraid to seek help.
7. As a gamer, you are prone to have mental health problems which can be prevented and cured;
Another negative effect of playing too much video game as a gamer is that you are prone to have mental health problems such as depression and anxiety. Don’t worry because these things can be prevented or if you already experiencing these things, they can be cured.
An example scenario that causes gamers to have mental health problems is when they are super into the game and when they get defeated or they did not win, they feel sad and depressed.
To prevent and cure these mental health problems, share it with your family and friends. Communicate to them and tell them what you are feeling. And always tell yourself that your feelings are valid.
8. As a gamer, playing videos can be time-consuming;
If you are a hardcore gamer, you always wanted to finish the game instantly. Of course, you are swayed by the amazing storyline and stunning graphics of the game which is sometimes, you can’t even track your time. It is like you start playing in the morning then you finish the game in the morning, the next day.
If this becomes your daily routine and you did not do anything and just played video games 24 hours, it could really be time-consuming and unhealthy. We recommend that you consider finding the right balance in every part of your daily life.
Can You Relate?
Those are the pros and cons of being a gamer. In fact, not only gamers are experiencing the things that we have stated above — from having the chance of developing and improving skills to having difficulties and problems. This is life and we cannot escape the fact that something is always an equivalent to something. Do you agree with us?