games Computer games can increase your problem-solving skills.

Consider some advice from Jane McGonigal (alternate reality game designer, Ph.D. in performance studies): She suggests that if you want to have fun and stimulate your mind, play about three times a week for just 20 minutes at a time. that.

Almost all of the most popular video games have some requirement for problem solving and/or critical thinking. This promotes adaptability and cognitive flexibility. These are really important skills for any kind of problem solving task.

Games keep your mind active.

It is unfortunate but inevitable: as we go through life, we succumb to physical and mental decline. Going to the gym or having frequent sex will help prevent (or at least slow down) physical losses. To avoid mental decline one must maintain an active brain. Doing crossword puzzles, Sudoku, playing mind games or video games (as long as they’re not totally silly) might help curb the loss.

Players are better at visual tasks.

Studies have indicated that, compared to non-players, experienced players are better at: tracking items; keep track of multiple objects simultaneously; filter out irrelevant information; switch from one task to another; detect changes in visual designs; and 3D mental rotation.

A recent study by researchers at Brown University found that playing video games was associated with better visual learning. At least one experiment has found evidence that playing video games can improve the mental rotation skills of non-gamers.

Games can increase processing speed.

Being able to process information quickly is critical in many situations. Motorists, for example, are presented with a lot of information (some of which is constantly changing) and are asked to make quick and precise decisions that can have dramatic implications. In decision making, however, speed is usually sacrificed for accuracy or vice versa. Simply put, quick decisions often lead to mistakes.

Computer games often require rapid processing of sensory information and immediate action. Indecision or delay in response is penalized. Therefore, players are highly motivated to reduce their reaction time (RT).

Some studies have found that gamers have better RT than non-gamers. This is not surprising, but what may be is that this speed generalizes to various tasks (not just to the specific game), and that the increase in speed does not lead to a decrease in accuracy. Basically, players process and respond faster, but don’t lose accuracy by doing so. Some of these studies have indicated causality by showing that RTs can be trained through play!