Video games can be educational. It’s an uncommon opinion to hold, particularly when the mass media has publically criticised gaming on several occasions, but there is a strong case for the value of gaming. Learning about different games from around the world by playing them or watching guides, such as the Ladbrokes’ guide to 21 different card games, will teach you about different cultures. These are just some of the essential skills that gaming can teach you.

1. Perseverance

Playing a video game every day for a week, even if it’s just for a few hours at a time, will teach you how to stick to something. It’s more than likely that you will get stuck at some point during your game. Perhaps there is a difficult level that you aren’t sure how to navigate or a tough boss to defeat, so you may have to keep replaying the same section until you learn how to navigate it. That is perseverance, an essential life skill that you use to keep going when things get hard.

2. Social Interaction

Gaming constantly gets a bad reputation for being an isolating, unsociable activity. The mass media repeatedly condones parents for letting their children stay inside all day and play video games. While prolonged periods of playing video games might not be the healthiest activity, there is an argument that gaming can improve young people’s social skills. There are a lot of opportunities for children to play games collaboratively, either in person or online, which enable them to discuss strategies and solve problems together.

3. Creativity

There is a unique sub-genre of games available that are aimed at improving your mental capacity and encouraging creative problem solving. However, you don’t have to play the latest “brain training” game to improve your mental capacity and creative abilities. Regular play of video games encourages players to think creatively, whether they are navigating puzzles or solving problems. They can also inspire creativity simply by being visually engaging, just like films and television shows. An avid gamer could go on to create their own game in the future.

4. Hand-Eye Coordination

A lot of video games involve the rapid pressing of buttons in response to active events on screen. This is a skill that is learnt from a young age and can be trained as we grow. Studies have shown that people who play video games tend to have better hand-eye coordination than those who don’t. This makes them more able to learn to complete sensorimotor tasks, which are tasks that require a steady hand and accurate controls, for example carrying out surgery or driving a car. So, if you want to become a doctor, perhaps playing video games isn’t such a bad pastime after all!

5. Strategic Planning

Depending on the type of game you play, a certain amount of strategy will be required to complete it successfully. There will be times when you have to plan your next move carefully and think ahead about the consequences of your actions. This is an almost subconscious skill that gaming teaches but it’s a very useful one. You’ll be well trained to think proactively when you enter the world of work.