Video games are awesome, everyone knows that
But what the heck happens to your puny body when you play an excessive amount of them? There are cases from all over the world of gamers playing too much for too long and not
surviving to actually reach the end credits. But despite a few tragic tales of gaming gone wrong, video games aren't all bad
There are plenty of ways that video games can actually make you a better person, and a few ways that they can turn you into a useless husk of a human
So let's dig into the good, the bad, and the ugly of going into the deep end of video gaming
Marathon gaming sessions aren't uncommon, but all of those all-night killstreaks might
be endangering your life. A condition called deep vein thrombosis can result from frequently sitting still for too long
One British gamer died of blood clots formed by a lifestyle of frequent 12-hour gaming
sessions, and he's not the only gamer that's damaged their circulation system by prolonged immobility
Deep vein thrombosis, sometimes known as economy class syndrome, typically affects travelers
of extremely long-haul flights, since there's nowhere to move around, and involves the formation
of blood clots due to extended periods of sitting in one place. Your body needs to move, so don't be afraid to hit pause or skip a match
For a while, motion gaming platforms like Nintendo Wii and PlayStation Move were starting
to push the boundaries as far as what it meant to play a video game. But for the most part, gaming is still defined by kicking back on the couch and pushing buttons
Turns out that sitting around for hours on end with minimal movement can make you fat Who knew Studies have shown largely mixed results Some say that active video games don really have a negative effect on your body as long as you keep your hands off the snacks while you sitting there
Other studies have found that those who play video games a lot are more likely to gain weight
No matter what, playing button mashers is not a net positive for your bod. The best approach
Try to mix in a little exercise and healthy snacks every few levels. Even if you keep your body active between gaming sessions, the repetition of using a controller
for weeks on end can still take a toll. Gaming typically requires a lot of repetitive hand motions, and tons of players have developed repetitive stress injuries thanks to gaming
The condition happens when you repeatedly do the same motion over and over, and typically affects the wrists and hands, but can move up to the forearms and elbows depending on the person and the playing style
You're not even safe if you're famous, or using a non-traditional controller. Injury-prone MLB pitcher Joel Zumaya was sidelined by playing Guitar Hero 2 a little too hard and messing up his wrist
In other words, put the controller down sometimes. If you play video games enough, they can start to mess with your mind, literally
A 2011 study published in Translational Psychiatry surveyed brain scans of 154 14-year-old children
who played more than nine hours of video games each week. Hardcore gamers had much larger reward centers in their brains than the average kid, which
prompted the desire to play even more video games. And if you prone to seizures you need to be very careful with your gaming sessions A report published by the National Institutes of Health in 1994 noted a study in which the majority of patients with epileptic seizures suffered from photosensitivity while playing
video games. For 27 of the 35 seizure patients studied, their first seizure came while playing video games
Since 1994, however, there have been standards put in place to prevent unnecessary photo
stimulation in video games. That doesn't mean that every game publisher follows those rules, however, so proceed with caution
According to a 2013 study at the Max Planck Institute, areas in the brain responsible for
spatial navigation, memory formation, and strategic planning could all be positively impacted by video games. Looking beyond just those perks, the study noted that there could
be great potential in using video games as a form of therapy for patients who suffer from
mental disorders, ranging from Alzheimer's to schizophrenia. And when it comes to getting
your hands to match your brain, there's more good news. You usually have to be fast to be a good
gamer, and not surprisingly, those skills can translate beyond video games. In 2014
Tech Times reported on a study that found playing action video games helped gamers learn new motor
skills, as well as develop their eye and hand coordination. Career-wise, the report notes those
abilities can come in handy if you want to be a surgeon, so remember that the next time you're flying through Halo, you're also prepping for med school. Douglas Gentile, a psychologist at
Iowa State University, has been tracking video game players for decades. According to his findings
About 9 of kids who play video games are addicted So what the cause of the video game addiction Gentile broke it down to what he calls the ABCs The A is autonomy We like to feel we in control B is belonging We like to feel connected to other people And C is competence We like to
feel that we're good at what we do. Psychologist Mark Griffiths, director of the International
Gaming Research Unit at Nottingham Trent University, added that the addiction can also
be related to the constant rewards built into video games, from hitting high scores to merely
the sense of accomplishment. Those game achievements you're striving for? They're totally playing
you, bro." The sweaty loner sitting in his room playing video games in the dark is an old cliché
and these days, it's actually an outdated one. Online gaming has managed to connect people in ways we never could have dreamed of decades
ago, and it's actually helping potential solitary players find new friends. According to a 2013 report by the American Psychological Association, more than 70 percent
of gamers play with at least one friend, and millions of people have joined virtual worlds
through social games, from FarmVille to World of Warcraft. These types of games encourage cooperation and teamwork
And considering the typical Warcraft player logs more than 22 hours per week online, it
stands to reason that most players would find a camaraderie there. Along with virtual friends, video games are also popular among real-life pals to throw
down online. And that's pretty, undeniably awesome. You know what you guys should do
Try being around other humans, whatever once in a while, because humans don't bug buckets