Video game competitions – eSports have won the love of over 400 million fans around the globe and this figure is constantly increasing. In recent years the discipline has become especially popular with professional gamers in CS: GO, Dota 2, LoL, Rainbow 6 conquering the heights of tournaments.
However, while eSports is a source of income for many professionals and amateur players also spend a lot of time on these games, there is both positive and negative impact of eSports which we will thoroughly discuss in our article.
General Impact of eSports on Brain
Playing eSports and different games has the following impact on a person’s health:
- Generation of neurons;
- Acceleration of cerebral circulation;
- The release of hormones, like adrenaline, that affects neurophysiological processes;
- Prevention of psychological pathologies.
Professional esports players have an increased reaction, developed fine motor skills, logical, analytical thinking. At the same time, they train memory and imagination. Exercising and competing creates a certain level of stress, but when done correctly, it doesn’t turn into harmful distress.
Fighting the Depression
eSports contributes to the fight against depression, mental disorders, because a stable concentration of attention, switching to different activities, communication with team members, and like-minded people have a positive effect on the brain.
It has been noticed that pro gamers are stress-resistant, they are able to solve complex problems without anxiety, they have less frequent breakdowns, unmotivated aggression and irritability. Aiming at victory, success in esports, the presence of positive motivation reinforces patterns of behavior in the mind, which are useful for public and private life.
Multitasking
When passionate about eSports the hypothalamus, the cerebral cortex, in particular the prefrontal region, which is responsible for information processing, is involved. Therefore, it is easier for gamers to do several things at once.
There are many left-handers and ambidexters in eSports who can equally wield both hands. This indicates the harmony between the cerebral hemispheres. Such individuals make wonderful analysts, IT industry workers, who easily adapt to a team.
eSports and Problems with Betting
While specialized media and competitions on the web show that eSports is liked by both professionals and amateurs, there are also problems related to eSports betting which affects a lot of youngsters. Basically, in addition to playing different games and developing skills, players become actively involved in online betting. Sometimes it becomes hard to get out of this addiction, which ends up in players being broken eventually.
With the advent of online gambling, more and more online bookmakers offer betting on eSports games. The Internet made betting easier and betting problems still remain one of the biggest challenges.
Time Problems
eSports might develop your cognitive skills and analytical thinking but at the same time sometimes you could waste a lot of time during a day without even noticing. The majority of players are engaged in different games for more than 10 hours, according to different research, which is a lot. Spending too much time can result in neglecting different aspects of your life, such as work, education, hanging out with friends and deteriorating relationships.
However, professional players who might spend even days playing different games, generate a lot of revenue, so it is considered work for them.
Other Health Issues
The most common injury to an esports player is tunnel syndrome, triggered by monotonous movements of the mouse. Almost everyone who does not do special exercises suffers from it. It can take six months to recover.
In second place, of course, eye problems. Sometimes athletes need not blink for several minutes, which is why uncontrolled lacrimation develops, which is quite difficult to cure.
However, as esports is growing more and more as an industry, players from sports organizations have to adhere to a strict schedule of healthy lifestyles. The teams hired professional massage therapists, psychologists and managers who monitor the observance of the regime and the health of esports players.
What skills and education does an eSports player need?
The ability to process large amounts of information in the shortest possible time, as well as tactics, mathematical and analytical skills, are valued here.
The quality and direction of education are not as important as excellent knowledge of the English language, because the goal of any esports player is to go international. You also need patience and perseverance, but most importantly – developed communication skills and the ability to work in a team. This is one of the key components of victory.
Do not forget about good physical shape: esports players spend a lot of energy in intense competitions, which sometimes last for several days. There is a widespread thought that esports players do not train and spend a lot of time in front of computer screens, but some of the most successful representatives in this discipline constantly allocate themselves time to train in a gym.