90 percent of adolescents do not become addicted to video games, even if they

play them frequently, or at least this has been demonstrated by a team of

researchers from Brigham Young University (United States) in a study published in
the journal 'Developmental Psychology'.

Pathological video games are characterized by excessive time spent playing

them and difficulty in switching off, although only about 10 percent of players fall
into the category of pathological video games.

To measure addiction to these games, the experts analyzed 385 adolescents who,
over a six-year period, had to complete questionnaires measuring their levels of
depression, anxiety, aggression, delinquency, empathy, prosocial behavior,
shyness, financial stress and problematic cell phone use.

Thus, the researchers found that being male and having little social life increased
the risk of video game addiction. However, 72 percent of the adolescents who
participated in the study showed little addiction symptoms, 18 percent moderately,
and only 10 percent showed addictive behaviors.

"While about 90 percent of gamers do not play in a way that is detrimental to their
lives, there is still a sizable minority who are actually addicted to video games and
suffer addiction symptoms over time," warned those responsible for the paper.

Video games improve attention: Studies included in the review show that players
show improvements in several types of attention, including sustained and selective
attention. In addition, brain regions that play a key role in attention are more
efficient in people who play video games compared to non-gamers, and require
less activation to stay focused on demanding tasks.

Video games increase brain size: Scientific evidence also shows that playing video
games increases the size and performance of parts of the brain responsible for
visuospatial skills-the ability to represent, analyze, and manipulate objects
mentally. Specifically, the right hippocampus.

Video games can be addictive: On the negative side, video games can generate
addiction (very few cases). In those addicted to the game, there are functional and
structural alterations in the neuronal reward system -structures associated with
pleasure, learning and motivation-. But, as the authors of the study state, "these
effects do not always translate into changes in real life". 
A recent study conducted by neuroscientist Daphne Bavellier, a researcher at the
University of Geneva, claims that first-person shooter games have a positive effect
on our brain health.

Thus, played in reasonable doses, these games can have "quite powerful and
positive effects on many different aspects of our behavior". Among them are visual
acuity, attention, or the ability to multitask or switch your attention between them.

Sandbox video games, this genre of video games is known for offering players an
open world with great possibilities of modification and creation of the environment,
in addition to following a non-linear storyline, where the objectives are often set by
the player himself, thus allowing him the opportunity to enhance his creativity,
encouraging self-narration and the construction of stories and experiences. If to
this cocktail we add the social part that they usually include, this type of video
games become a great tool to promote learning, creativity and, of course, fun.
Doing yoga and drinking tea might not be the only ways to deal with the stress
generated by your workday. A study conducted by the University of North Carolina
in the United States showed that video games do not induce stress responses and,
on the contrary, can even help control negative emotions related to stress.
Puzzle-type video games, an example of which could be Tetris, a video game in
which visuo-spatial tasks must be performed, can increase gray matter in the brain,
according to the conclusion of a study that was recently published in the journal
BMC Research Notes.

Magnetic resonance images obtained from 26 adolescents who were asked to play
the video game for half an hour a day for more than three months found increased
efficiency in the parts of the brain associated with critical thinking, reasoning,
language and processing.

Strategy, consist in planning a strategy to overcome the opponent. They require

concentration, knowing how to manage resources, thinking and defining strategies.
This game can help develop intelligence and it is really complicated to master
them. It is more difficult to get bored with a strategy game because new
challenges and new ways to overcome them arise.

Simulation, Simulation video games reproduce sensations that are not really
happening. They pretend to simulate physical sensations such as speed,
acceleration and perception of the environment. One of their functions is to give a
real experience of something that is not happening so as not to put life at risk. The
first simulators were created in the 1960s. Their main mission was to better
prepare pilots. Today this tool is indispensable in the training of aviators.