Aren’t Video Games A Waste Of Time? Top 12 e-Sports Benefits
For a long time, video gaming was regarded as a ‘waste of time’ or a nerdy teenage hobby.
Slowly though, the benefits of gaming started emerging and being properly researched and brought to the attention of the general public.
Today, e-Sports is a billion-dollar worldwide industry, reaching more than 450 million users, and offering huge prize-money, countless game development companies, genuine multi-faceted careers, and a surprising array of health benefits including: stress reduction, improved brain function and memory, enhanced problem-solving and critical thinking, faster hand-eye coordination, as well as better communication, social and teamwork skills – to name just a few.
Scientific research confirms there are major emotional, physical, social and mental benefits to being part of the e-Sports gaming community, which naturally attracts high-level and strategic-thinking academics.
This future-focused industry will only bring more (and more varied) career opportunities to graduates.
So what are the top 12 benefits of video gaming and e-Sports?
1. General Health: It lowers stress just like any other hobby such as reading, hiking or cooking.
2. Reduced Depression: As it forces you to ‘live in the moment’ and not overthink the past or future.
3. Brain Health: Researchers have found that gaming improves three major areas of the brain: the prefrontal cortex, the right hippocampus, and the cerebellum.
Prefrontal Cortex: Responsible for decision-making, personality, cognitive planning and social behaviour.
Right Hippocampus: Responsible for short and long-term memory, data processing and consolidation.
Cerebellum: Controls your fine motor skills and muscular activity – posture, balance, coordination & speech.
4. Improved Eyesight: Gaming enables better colour contrast and colour shading perception.
5. Better & Faster Hand-Eye Coordination: Pretty self-explanatory.
6. Critical Thinking: Gaming – especially competitive gaming and e-Sports, requires players to take in mass amounts of information, process and analyse it, then make split-second decisions, over and over again.
Competitive gaming is like speed chess on a timer on steroids, as it requires you to think about what your opponent is thinking, and even to consider what your opponent is thinking that you might be thinking!
Once you’ve taken in all the presented information, processed and analysed it, you need to react with what you think the most logical next step should be.
Often, this logical reaction needs to happen in a split second, and many of these decisions become instinctual for gamers.
7. Problem Solving: Problem-solving defines e-Sports and gaming, as all games start with a problem that needs to be solved, and this defines many things in life, even life itself…
Gaming improves your problem-solving abilities because you are constantly solving problems at an incredibly fast rate.
You could be going along with a plan, only to have an enemy champion get the drop on you.
You don’t get to sit back and think about your next steps for a few minutes, you need to problem-solve immediately.
Practising solving problems will make you a better problem-solver, and gaming is a great, fast-paced way to solve many problems and really encourage thinking ahead.
8. Increased Memory Capacity: Having to remember all the player movement controls, overall game instructions, enemy or treasure locations, map directions, the list goes on and on…
9. College Scholarships: From QUT and UQ at the tertiary level and now Canterbury College at the high school level, which could save you thousands in education fees for your children (please see below).
10. Industry Job Pathways: e-Sports has evolved into a complete industry, and industries require many workers behind the scenes.
Here’s a list of potential employment opportunities in e-Sports: professional player, player or team coach, player agent, event or team sponsor, caster or live-streamer, event host, e-Sports journalist, sales & marketing specialist, tournament referee, social media manager, tournament manager, game developer, game tester, visual artist, graphic designer etc.
Having the experience of competitive gaming under your belt, will also give you an edge when exploring other opportunities within the e-Sports industry.
11. Real Life Job Skills: Every single job requires you to think critically and solve problems.
The better and faster you can do this, the more you will stand out in the workplace as a valuable employee, and gaming is excellent practice for this.
Gaming also improves a player’s ability to engage in multiple tasks simultaneously.
In one study, it was found that 50 hours of action-based video gaming significantly improved test scores that measured each participants’ ability to multi-task.
12. Stronger Communication: Clear communication is imperative for competitive team-based games.
The ability to effectively communicate under high pressure, when things feel like they’re falling apart, is a skill that will carry forward into any job.
So if you’re the parent or carer for children who love their video games (after their regular school homework is done)… please don’t despair.
Science and research is telling a very different and much brighter story!
WHAT: Canterbury e-Sports Program Scholarship Trials Day
WHEN: 2:15pm Arrival For 2:30pm Start – 5:00pm Finish, Friday 9 July 2021
Welcome & Overview – Mr Kenta Shimizu: 2:15pm – 2:30pm
Video Gaming Trials: 2:30pm – 5:00pm
WHERE: Canterbury College, 182 Old Logan Village Road, Waterford QLD 4133
‘Home Base’ Location – Arts Auditorium (M Block)
– For official welcome & short overview presentation.
– Viewing space for parents, carers, families & other spectators.
– Plenty of onsite parking: Use Entrance B via Easterly Street, then park down the left side.
Gaming Trials Location – M02 & M01 Upstairs Level Lab & Classroom
– Rotations or staggered starts may be required depending on total participants playing each game.
WHO: For talented video gamers looking to enter Years 9-11 at Canterbury College on an e-Sports Program Scholarship.
NB: Maximum 20 x e-Sports Trials Day participants so please register ASAP (see below).
WHAT TO BRING:
– Gaming peripherals: your best / favourite mouse, keyboard & headset with microphone.
– Snacks & drinks for a break (particularly if you have any special dietary requirements.
– Basic snacks, water station, tea & coffee provided for parents, carers, families & other spectators.
DRESS CODE:
– Comfortable smart casual that lets you move easily for best game-play.
– PLUS needed for a short teamwork problem-solving activity.
CANTERBURY STAFF ATTENDING:
e-Sports Program Coaches: Mr Kenta Shimizu | Mr Hayden Turner | Mr Chris Van ‘t Wout
Other: College Registrar – Ms Debbie Milne | IT Assistance – Mr Chris Hughson
REGISTRATION:
To register for this Trials Day, you MUST complete the Canterbury Scholarship Application Form located here on our website.
Click here to read our brief Prospectus containing the full e-Sports Program information.
REGISTRATION DEADLINE: 11:59pm Wednesday 7 July 2021!
Please email your completed Scholarship Application Form to:
TRIALS DAY GAMES
League of Legends: A multiplayer online battle arena video game, where two teams of five players battle in ‘player versus player’ combat, with each team occupying and defending their half of the map. Each of the ten players controls a character known as a ‘champion’, with unique abilities and differing styles of play.
Overwatch: A team-based multiplayer first-person ‘hero shooter’ video game, that assigns players into two teams of six, with each player selecting from a large roster of characters known as ‘heroes’, with unique abilities and differing styles of play. Teams work to complete map-specific objectives within a limited time period.
Rocket League: A vehicular soccer video game where players control a rocket-powered car and use it to hit a ball that is much larger than the cars, towards the other team’s goal area to score goals, in a way that resembles indoor soccer, with elements of a ‘demolition derby’.