The Positiveâs of Online Gaming
(Week 10)
Let me make this clear - I am probably the last person on the planet to ask anything about the online gaming world! Having grown up in a family of active sporting athletes, the closest Iâve come to playing any kind of online game is FIFA or AFL Live!Â
Yet, upon approaching this weekâs topic, I carried my preconceived idea that online gaming was an addictive and self destructive way for users to escape their lives into a world of virtual reality. And in some aspects, this is true, with Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPG) aiding to the development of psychological disorders that affect mood, anxiety and substance abuse (UNC 2019).
(UNC 2019)
But like most things in the world, there are certainly positives to the online gaming realm that I had not yet considered prior to this weekâs content (funny how a little research can open your mind to alternative ideas!)
Perhaps one of the most successful examples of how online and virtual gaming can create a positive affect on users, is the highly interactive Pokemon Go.
The game essentially acts as an augmented reality app where users can roam the real world seeking and catching Pokemon characters (Wei 2016). Since its inception in 2016, the game has topped the app download list and has become a huge worldwide phenomenon among teenagers, young adults and friendship groups (Chamary 2018). Among the fun had by users, the positive effects of the game include:Â
1. Getting out in the sun
2. Physical activity
3. Exploration of nature
4. Social interaction
5. Brain training
(Chamary 2018)
(Pokemon Go 2017)
The extensive psychological power of augmented reality also proves its usefulness in stimulating cognitive control, especially in regards to the treatment of depression, anxiety and PTSD (Wei 2016).
The way in which augmented reality differs from other traditional online games, such as Fortnite and World of Warcraft, is its ability to transport users into a different space that is still considered present in the real world (Wei 2016). The game essentially provides users with the tools to go outside, explore, and create relationships with other players.Â
I feel that one of the most exciting things about this game is the non-threatening and non-violent themes (compared to other games of its popularity), as well as its ability to motivate socially anxious individuals to get involved, participate, and experience something new in their neighbourhood that they may have previously overlooked.
REFERENCES
Chamary, JV 2018, âWhy Pokemon Go is the worldâs most important gameâ, Forbes, 10 February, viewed 30 January 2019, <https://www.forbes.com/sites/jvchamary/2018/02/10/pokemon-go-science-health-benefits/#12ae3eda3ab0>.
Pokemon Go 2017, âPokemon Go events around the worldâ, [image], Pokemon Go Live, viewed 30 January 2019, <https://pokemongolive.com/en/post/gosummerevents/>.
UNC 2019, âNegative aspects of online gamingâ, Online Gaming Addiction, viewed 30 January 2019, <http://onlinegamingaddiction.web.unc.edu/negative-aspects-of-online-gaming/>.
Wei, M 2016, âThe psychological pros and cons of Pokemon Goâ, Psychology Today,12 July, viewed 30 January 2019, <https://www.psychologytoday.com/au/blog/urban-survival/201607/the-psychological-pros-and-cons-pok-mon-go>.
Iâve never been much of a gamer either! I must admit though, I got right into Pokemon Go. I never had a background in it previously â not the cards, not the shows, nothing! I guess that was before I came back to study and had more time on my hands, haha!













