According to the Entertainment Software Association, more than 61% of people in the US (190.6 million) actively play video games—and many do so online. While gaming has long been considered an antisocial activity, the rise of online gaming has changed this perspective.
In fact, online gaming comes with many unique benefits that can help build social skills rather than deteriorate them. Let’s look at these advantages and see why playing online may be one of the best things gamers can do.
Sense of Community
Many online games become so popular that they form vibrant online communities filled with players from all walks of life. These communities, predominantly present in massively multiplayer online role-playing games (MMORPGs) like World of Warcraft, are actively encouraged through specific game features.
These games encourage the formation of clans, guilds, or teams that bring players who are strangers together with a common goal. This shared goal creates an environment where players can begin speaking and working together and build relationships without the awkwardness that sometimes comes with meeting new people in real life.
This sense of community is also taken advantage of by games that encourage play with others rather than against a computer. Classic games like Uno are now available online, and even online casinos offer live games that let you play against others in real-time.
Communication Skills
Playing online with others can enhance communication skills as a byproduct of belonging to an online gaming community. When communication barriers, such as language or cultural differences, arise between members of the same community, learning to navigate them while contributing to the community’s central goal can teach players how to develop more adaptable and patient communication styles.
Awareness of one’s communication skills also helps players communicate better strategies, negotiate with others, and even resolve conflicts. These skills can easily translate into real-life situations and are thus invaluable in everyday situations.
Inclusion
Although not always the case, many online games create an environment of inclusion where everybody is a player and is not judged on factors like socioeconomic situation. This inclusion helps add to the variation of players and cultures that can be found in a gaming community.
Beyond making all players feel welcome, the inclusive environment provided by games helps players who experience social anxiety develop coping mechanisms for social interaction. Because this is done behind a screen, it teaches these abilities without forcing these players out of their comfort zone; they can acclimatize at their own rate.
This inclusive environment also helps increase cultural awareness among players. By learning to develop cross-cultural communication, players can better understand other regions and cultures and develop a well-rounded global perspective.
Formation of Friendships
Working hand in hand with a sense of community, online games can help foster friendships that can last years and become more meaningful than even those that are formed in places like high school. Continued correspondence with other players helps foster this friendship sometimes more quickly than off-screen.
There are instances where gaming communities become so close that they serve as some players’ first point of contact for encouragement, support, or celebrating successes with people who are genuinely happy for them.
Teamwork
Another benefit that online gamers experience is learning to work together with others as part of a team. Many games require teams to work together consistently to achieve success. Working together on coordinated strategies can help garner valuable skills that can aid in real-life scenarios like work.
Leadership Skills Development
In addition to learning to work as part of a team, many online games can also teach invaluable lessons about being a leader, particularly when you are leading a clan or guild.
Games that require coordinating team efforts and managing resources can teach leaders lessons about strategic planning and decision-making.
Cognitive Advancement
The final major benefit of playing games online relates to the wide variety of cognitive benefits they offer. Because different online games present different scenarios that need to be strategically dealt with, commonly in a short timeframe, they can boost cognitive abilities.
Although this is also true of single-player offline games, online games have been shown to boost the advancement of abilities because they are often faster-paced and require quicker reaction times. Critical thinking that needs to be shared and communicated with others can help develop advanced cognitive abilities.
Takeaways
There is no doubt that video games (offline and online) can boost cognitive development and help develop new skills. However, offline games are known for reducing communication and creating an isolated environment. Inversely, online gaming addresses these issues and adds several major advantages.
These, ranging from increased communication skills to finding a game community that can act like a family, make online gaming worthwhile for any player. As such, it is no surprise that online gaming continues to be growing in popularity year over year.
