There are very mixed opinions about gaming in society. We all think that gaming wastes a person's time, leads to addiction, causes health issues in children's brains, or prevents their brains from developing properly. But this is completely wrong because when a child plays a game that requires a lot of thinking, patience, and problem-solving, and then progresses to the next level, you can imagine how much their brain is developing. Their brain is being challenged to think, react, and make decisions. So, the idea that games are only harmful is completely wrong. Playing too many games can lead to addiction, but playing games in moderation can be like therapy.
These days, everyone is stressed. There's the pressure of the office, the pressure of studies, family responsibilities, and financial worries – everything has become overwhelming. This is especially true for young adults who love playing games, but they have so much work, so many distractions, so much negativity, and so many responsibilities that they can't even find time to play. That's why, if you take a little break, say on Saturday or Sunday, you can take out your PS5 or your laptop, or any console, and play a good game. Whether it's FIFA or PUBG, there are so many great games. Playing them is so much fun! So, in today's world, the only way to let out the inner child in a man is to let him play games. It's incredibly enjoyable!
The biggest benefit of games is that they provide relaxation. Whether you play online games or go outside to play, whatever game you play, you have a lot of fun and you're fully engaged. You don't overthink things. When you play a game, you're completely focused on the game itself—how to clear this level, how to defeat this enemy. If you're playing a multiplayer game, you'll be strategizing where to hide, how to act, and how to rest—you have to think about so many things. So, the best benefit is that it reduces overthinking. Instead of dwelling on negative things, you're engaged in something that stimulates your brain and provides some fun and laughter. Think about how much fun and laughter there is when four friends play a game together!
I remember it very clearly, just like it was today, when COVID-19 arrived. There was a complete lockdown across the country at that time. Neither schools nor colleges were open. I remember that during that time, my sister bought a new phone, a Samsung A14. And the best part, and I even felt like that fever I had was a sign just for me, was that we got Wi-Fi installed at my house just three days before the lockdown. So you can imagine how perfectly timed the Wi-Fi installation was, and then the lockdown started three days later. And then three of us friends downloaded PUBG. We didn't know much about it at the time, so yeah, we played, but not that much; we didn't really understand how the game worked.
Slowly, we started playing more and more. Wow, it was so much fun! We became so addicted that we would play for at least seven or eight hours a day. Yes, I know it's wrong, but there was nothing else to do all day because college was closed, school was closed, and there was nothing to do. We just played games all day. We spent time with family members, then played games, and that was it. The problem started when our COVID-19 lockdown ended. After that, when schools and colleges reopened, we started going back to them, but I missed the fun of playing games with my friends. We used to play together, tease each other, and do funny things. I really miss that. I don't get to play games as much these days. Occasionally, if I find a good story mode game, like the one with the bananas, I'll play that because my friends don't have much time anymore.
Today in Jabalpur, I was thinking about how much fun it was to play online games back then, when we used to play games like Surf while being distracted by social media. We didn't focus as much on what was happening on social media as we do now. And in a way, it was good because when we played games like PUBG, which had a multiplayer mode, with an online enemy and us as online players, we knew when to react, when to rest, when to attack, when to defend, and which gun to pick up for a better kill record. Our minds were constantly thinking about so many things, and I don't even know how much our brains developed because of it. These games actually boost our minds and force us to think critically. When we were playing, we would strategize about how to navigate a map without encountering enemies. We had to think and analyze so much and make so many decisions on the spot.