A recent study* by University of Rochester found that video gamers gain better eyesight by playing. Specifically, the finding states that by playing just a few hours daily, gamers could improve their eyesight by 20%.
Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences stated this, “Action video game play changes the way our brains process visual information.” “After just 30 hours, players showed a substantial increase in the spatial resolution of their vision, meaning they could see figures like those on an eye chart more clearly, even when other symbols crowded in.” Bavelier also states that “These games push the human visual system to the limits and the brain adapts to it. That learning carries over into other activities and possibly everyday life.”
The case study was conducted based off of casual and/or non-playing gamers by Bavelier and a graduate student at University of Rochester within a one year period. After conducting an eye test, the gamers were divided into two groups; one group playing action-oriented 1st person games (i.e. unreal tournament) for an hour a day and while the other group playing less complex and action-packed games. (i.e. tetris)
After the study, the vision of the gamers studied indicated that the gamers who played games with more action scored better on the eye exam than when first examined.
For any gamer, this might come as a shock as I’m sure there has (and still is) a common myth that TV screens and subsequently, people that play games, would have worser eyesight than those that don’t.
And, when you take up the fact that the gamers who played Unreal had better results than say, Tetris, it makes total sense.
Think about these two games. Unreal has your first person player moving around, and if you’ve played first person shooters, its easy to understand how much more acutely your sense become. Ever object on screen becomes a possible place for an opponent to hide and or position themselves. So along with your eyesight your adrenaline is pumping even more, “enhancing” your awareness.
Compare this to less-action oriented games and its a no-brainer. Puzzle games, while addicting in the own right, don’t require you to stare on the screen dead-on focused.
But if anything, articles like these help gamers around the nation know that, besides the pure gaming experience, they’re also gaining ground on the misconception that games don’t do anything for you.
Better eyesight along with hand-eye coordination, and with recent games that help provoke not only your sense but your mind as well (i.e. Nintendo’s Brain Age anyone?) its a nice feeling knowing we gamers don’t need edutainment software jammed down our throats to feel like we’re getting smarter.
Goes to show mama doesn’t know EVERYthing.
(Just don’t tell mama I said that)
