Gaming may seem to be an intensely singular pursuit. To the observer, committed gamers appear to dedicate themselves to reaching milestones, completing missions and ultimately beating opponents with no apparent benefits other than the sweet taste of victory. Concerned parents and gaming enthusiasts alike may therefore be interested to learn that there are in fact many advantages associated with gaming. All too often overlooked in the media in favor of harsh headlines about the potential downsides of gaming, these scientifically endorsed benefits are varied and compelling. From aiding learning development to addressing specific medical conditions, it seems that there is much more to gaming than is apparent on initial inspection. Here we explore the fringe benefits of this global pastime.

Gamers get top marks

Perhaps one of the most unexpected benefits of gaming is that it actually improves academic performance. Frequently lambasted in the media as a distraction from education, it would seem that gaming can in fact be a force for good in this area[i]. It certainly was the conclusion reached by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), an international forum of high performing countries[ii]. Its new report on international student performance, based on evidence gathered across 64 countries, showed that occasional playing of video games could have a positive effect on results in key subjects such as math, science and reading. Honing in on the type of gaming which proved most beneficial, the report authors said that while one-player games were associated with better performance, collaborative gaming activities had been linked with lower levels of achievement. Frequency was also an issue. Those who played games periodically between once each month and almost every day did much better than those who were gaming on a daily basis. It would therefore seem that gaming can get results in the classroom too, albeit within certain parameters.

Gaming for better health

The development of gaming as a tool to address certain medical conditions is continually advancing. The era of the app has proved particularly fruitful in terms of addressing a wide range of diagnosed disorders. This can involve improving specific symptoms and also helping patients manage their conditions. A ‘World of Warcraft’ style app called SPARX (Smart, Positive, Active, Realistic, X-factor thoughts) has already made significant inroads in helping young people deal with depression. A clinical trial conducted in New Zealand found that the game, which rewards completion of levels such as ‘dealing with emotions,’ and ‘recognizing unhelpful thoughts,’ led to higher reporting of symptoms of depression and increased remission rates. The game creators are now developing new versions of SPARX which help young people with two linked conditions such as asthma and anxiety[iii].

Two other interesting apps which are currently in development are being led by big hitters Ubisoft and Boston based start up Akili. Ubisoft’s Dig Rush is designed to help treat ‘lazy eye,’ or amblyopia to give it its official name. A collaborative partnership involving Ubisoft, McGill University Montreal, Canada and a private medical company called Amblyotech has helped create Dig Rush and make it a meaningful tool in addressing this challenging condition in children and adults. The game is currently being reviewed by healthcare bodies to see if it can be endorsed as a worldwide medical tool, but early results are promising. It is hoped that in time this app could help retrain patients’ brains to use both eyes to work in tandem.

Akili’s app, when developed, will be designed to assist people who are on the autistic spectrum[iv]. Having already developed other games to diagnose and treat cognitive problems such as Alzheimer’s, the company already has significant experience in the medical gaming arena. Now working with DELSIA (Delivering Scientific Innovation for Autism), Akili plans to target the ‘interference factor’ frequently experienced by those living with autism[v].

Gaming as a stress buster

While many passionate gamers would attest to the enjoyment they derive from their sport, it would seem that for those suffering from stress, gaming can offer more than just a good time[vi]. According to a study carried out by two researchers from University College London’s Interaction Centre found that greater digital game usage was linked with an enhanced ability to deal with and recover from stressful situations. They also concluded that gamers in general were more equipped to separate work stress from their home life, thus protecting their mental and emotional health[vii].

A Swiss company called MindMaze plans to take the calming properties of gaming to a whole new level with their new product –Neurogoggles[viii]. This virtual reality headset uses technology originally developed for the medical field to read the wearer’s brain waves. The device then uses the information it gathers to help the wearer relax and play. This functionality of power up and relax was previously used to help stroke and brain injury patients. Now it seems the therapeutic effects are going to be available to a much wider audience.

If you google ‘technology’ and ‘addiction’, the most likely thing that will happen is you will get a whole load of results pertaining to “internet addiction” [1] and “smartphone addiction” [2]. However, if you do some careful scrolling, hidden amongst the horror stories, you may find something incredibly positive: new virtual technology is helping people to overcome addictions – and there is plenty of scope for developing this kind of aid in the future.

Real Life Is Too Hard

Relapse is one of the major problems facing addicts of all kinds. Scientists are aware that relapse frequently occurs when addicts encounter “reminders of past use” [3]. It is all very well to role-play refusing or avoiding alcohol or drugs in treatment centers – but in the real world, it’s a very difference story. An addict, stepping into an environment of temptation, experiences an assault on every sense which conventional therapy simply cannot replicate in a safe environment. The only way to learn the kind of mental skills you need to avoid relapse is to smell the smoke, hear the glug of the wine, or feel the syringe in your hand – and then refuse to participate. It’s a difficult process, which takes an incredible amount of practice, yet no rehab clinic has been able to safely replicate the kind of environments in which addicts may encounter temptation. Until now.

Virtual Reality

The expanding scope of virtual reality provides an immense amount of possibilities as far as real-world applications are concerned. Most people associate virtual reality sets with gaming, but the fact is that the ability to more or less recreate (or create) a situation for someone has an immense amount of potential for all kinds of things. Children play, in essence, in order to teach themselves about the world they’re training to engage with – but in a safe manner. Play enables them to try out adult skills within safe parameters, honing their skills and techniques until they’re able to take them out into the potentially damaging adult world. Virtual reality could provide precisely the same kind of ‘safe space’ for addicts.

Virtual ‘Safety’

Researchers at the University of Houston in Texas have been working on developing their virtual reality technology towards helping troubled people develop coping skills which could help them in real-world situations. Addicts brought into such a program would don a virtual reality headset, and find themselves immersed in a customized environment, perfectly tailored to hit their weak spots as far as craving is concerned. A party, for example, complete with the sweaty press of bodies, pounding music, and the scent of nicotine and marijuana. Or a bar, with clinking glasses, a low murmur of conversation, and a cold beer resting alluringly on the tabletop. Exactly the kind of situations, in short, in which an addict may well succumb to temptation and undergo a relapse. The brain is fooled, but the body is in no actual danger of relapse, because (of course) the situation is not real. The addict can thus ‘relapse’ as many times as they need to – safely – before they begin to develop the requisite psychological tools to resist temptation and stay on the wagon. After some time spent resisting virtual temptations, the theory is that addicts should be far better able to take on the (admittedly much harder) challenge of staying clean and sober in real-life situations.

Early Days

The program has experienced a degree of success with quitting smokers and alcoholics, which is inspiring the team responsible to expand their remit to harder drugs, like heroin. Of course, while the technology can help addicts psychologically to kick the habit, the essential neurochemical and biological aspects of addiction would still need to be combatted by medical professionals. It’s early days yet for the concept, and the technology doubtless needs some fine-tuning, but it’s an exciting step forward for virtual technology. The world has plenty of problems, but, hopefully, the expanding borders of technology are beginning to provide us with some solutions.

[1] Kim Komando, “Tips For Fighting Internet Addiction”, USA Today, 2002

[2] Caitlin Dewey, “What your smartphone addiction actually looks like”, The Washington Post, Oct 2014

[3] Addict Science, “Why Relapse Is Common”