Staying Sharp Through Video Games

Today's weather: High = 9 Low = 3
Sunny

Video games are often looked down upon by teachers as negative, after all that's what we find the students playing in our classes and we confiscate their PSP or whatever gadget they happen to be using. Video games are seen as idle entertainment, ways to pass time, and stealing away our young generation's minds.

But there is a significant benefit to playing certain games. Chinese traffic (see last post) requires constant attention to surroundings and watching multiple drivers, reacting accordingly, expecting the unexpected, and dodging, dodging, dodging.

A video game is the perfect way to practice for this kind of traffic reality. In the video game, you're doing the same thing as the above. You are skillfully navigating your player through the obstacle course, fixed on the objective, and dodging multiple enemies who are trying to knock you off course.

The idea is to pick a video game that is far more chaotic and challenging than the traffic reality, but sharpens your skills to make quick and complex decisions in a matter of split seconds. I find Mario is the perfect game. It's not about driving, although you could say Mario Cart is the one. But regardless, there are some complex action sequences that take much skill and practice to get the hang of, and it is really intense.

When you get really skilled at the video game, you can move your player around without thinking about what you're doing, and focus the attention on the enemies and other players so that you can predict what is going to happen and avoid accordingly.

Needless to say, this is how it works on the actual roads. But there is a key difference here. In the video game, you have multiple lives in case you make a mistake, you die, and start again. Not so in Chinese traffic. You get into an accident and it's game over.