Emotional development
Stress reduction / relaxation
Playing a quick game after a hard day at work or a tough day at school can do wonders. Video games can take your mind of the daily pressures and tribulations we all live with. Games relax us, putting us in a comfortable zone where for that brief moment in time we don’t have to think about real life. Nice! Just be careful you don’t use video games to ‘escape’ real life because that may lead to video game addiction.
Mood regulator
So you might be in a bad mood or even an aggressive one even. Playing a video game can quickly regulate your mood and calm you down. As long as you don’t ignore the very thing that makes you angry, mood regulation is a good thing. It will make it easier to analyse the situation you’re dealing with and take the appropriate steps to deal with it. For children this could be very helpful in their emotional development.
Self expression
Lots of young people in particular use video games as a way to express a view of life, an opinion or their emotions. This is possible through video game development by creating your own video game that tells your story or expresses your emotions. Video game development is getting more and more accessible for the masses and that is a great thing. A lot of people express themselves through video game art or video game-related culture.
Feelings of achievement
Playing video games is very rewarding. The developers use this technique as a way of keeping you hooked on the game. Receiving positive rewards, even if it is through an impersonal machine like a computer or tablet makes you feel good. Completing the levels within a game and ultimately the whole game gives you feelings of achievement, again beneficial to your mental wellbeing.