Does esports have a positive impact on your well-being? What does research prove about its benefits for players?
Video games and e-sports can be incredibly loved or criticised, depending on who you ask. However, the fact is that e-sports are gaining popularity. Moreover, recent academic reports indicated some mental and physical benefits to participating in e-sports. Yes, winning real money on an e-sports bet is fantastic, but you’ll be glad to know that you can gain plenty of other things from this.
Social Benefits of e-Sports: Improved Communication & Collaboration
Participating in e-sports in a team setting can give adults and children a sense of community and social connection. According to statistics by the World Economic Forum, during Covid 19 lockdowns, people turned to e-sports for a social connection. There have been cases where individuals interacted in an e-sports gaming room and went ahead to foster strong relationships.
Academics actually encourage players to work together on games like Minecraft and Roblox, as they can help the participants improve their communication and collaboration skills. It has also been noted that competitive gaming on e-sports cultivates sportsmanship and helps the players have a better perspective on loss in life.
Academic Benefits of e-Sports: Cognitive Development
A study by the British Sports Association on e-sport users proved that playing E-Sports can boost cognitive functions, including strategic thinking, decision-making, and reaction time.
Esports games require a form of strategy. Therefore, players are supposed to think quickly on their feet. Furthermore, each time you are involved in an e-sport, all four major cognitive areas of your brain are in use: memory abilities, information processing, attention and task-switching).
Our brains are like muscles, and the more we use or exercise them, the stronger they become. That is why e-sports players seemed to have mental strengths in other areas of their lives, including academics.
Psychological Benefits of e-sports: Dopamine & Self Control
Playing games releases the feel-good hormone dopamine. A study in 2023 proved that the competitive nature of esports and the rewards stimulate our brains to feel good and have the same effect as a drug. If you can control your gaming habits and stay disciplined despite how good it feels, you will have unbreakable self-control.
For example:
You had planned to play from 2 pm to 4 pm and stop the game at that exact time, regardless of your level or how good you felt.
According to the British Psychological Society, engaging in e-sports can also help promote mental health. For years, the mainstream media has portrayed e-sports as an activity only meant for lone or isolated players, but on the contrary, participating in competitive gaming online has a wide range of positive impacts on mental health.
- Boosts self-esteem and the sense of self-accomplishment.
- It can be a coping mechanism for people with anxiety and stress.
- Failing in the games and trying again trains the brain not to give up, which can be useful in other aspects of life.
- Some studies have shown that people with a drug problem can use e-sports to quit or wean themselves off the drug (as long as they don’t play under the influence).
Career Opportunities in e-sports: Pro gamers, Developers & Content creators
There are so many career opportunities in e-sports that there are actual college and university courses for them. Most people think that pro gaming is the only way to make money from playing e-sports, but there is more. There are currently 3 billion e-sports gamers in the world, which means the industry needs all types of personnel, including management, event planning, coaching, legal, social media marketing, travel agents, and developers.
In 2021, there were 2,400+ jobs available in the United Kingdom. While some of the jobs don’t require a deep understanding of video games, others require some knowledge.
E-sports offers lots of potential for entrepreneurs
Business enthusiasts and entrepreneurs will be glad to know that the e-sports industry is very young, making it the perfect environment for entrepreneurs. There is a huge need for professionals who can push the technology, recruit players, sponsor events, create new games and create content.
E-sports is for kids and adults
Overall, e-sports have amazing benefits for both adults and children. They sharpen cognitive abilities, promote social connections, and nurture the spirit of healthy competition. Still, it is essential to balance e-sports gambling with other physical activities and interact with people in real-time.
While both adults and children are allowed to play, only people aged 18+ can bet on e-sports events. Therefore, parents and guardians should install parental control settings on their devices and monitor their children’s activities to prevent underage gambling.
