The Health of eSports
What are eSports?
Esports is a short name for ‘electronic sports’. Much like how football players play football with each other, esports players play video games versus one another. But it’s not limited to just family and friends, esports also refers to the competitive professional scene that surround popular video games. Players compete for prizes that could be worth millions of dollars in tournaments which are held in large stadiums alongside professional commentators. Millions of people from all around the world play every day and it is only growing in popularity.
eSports vs. Sports
When comparing the two, it’s pretty clear that sports and esports are very similar. Both require muscle dexterity and precise split-second decisionmaking as well as a strong grasp of the rules of the game. In your mind, playing video games even has the same chemical signature as when you are engaged in physical activities like sports [5], so in both cases, players are getting similar health benefits. When looking at the professional scene, both types of players spend countless hours of their lives devoted to studying the game, as well as following strict eating and sleeping regimes. They develop passion and spirit for the game, as well as a sense of comraderey with the people they play with. In the stands, both create communities of people passionate about a common game and help people get connected with others. Esports even let people make friends from all around the world without the struggle of needing transportation or even bringing any equipment.
Debunking Popular Health Beliefs
Whenever we hear someone talk about video games, we always imagine the stereotypical socially inept teenager holed away in the corner of their room, tapping away at their keyboard. One of the widely held viewpoints believe that video games create weak minded kids who develop poor social skills, however, studies have shown that that is not in the case. They claim video games can create social communities with social structures, subconsciously teaching players better social interaction skills . In many situations, video gamers’ cognitive skills like memory, perception, and problem solving are even strengthened by them playing video games [5]. The American Psychological Association claims that playing video games “has critical implications for education and career development”, especially within STEM fields because they teach problem-solving and many visualization skills [5]. Studies have even shown that when people play with others, there is little to no aggressive behavior that develops from video games [9]. Overall, there needs to be a reconsideration of the predominant stigma surrounding video games.
