You’ve heard it all. The constant debate about whether or not gaming is good for you. Well, it’s time that this argument had finally come to an end, so it’s probably a good idea to start off by saying that gaming is actually very beneficial.

Eyesight is one main concern of gaming. It’s said that playing video games is bad for your eyes, but according to Daphne Bavelier, a neuroscientist, those who play video games (action games, specifically) have much better vision than non-gamers. Those who play video games start to pay more attention to detail in the midst of commotion, and it allows them to see different levels of gray. So, people with bad eyesight can be assigned video games to play and help them tweak their prescription. A study conducted by the American Psychological Association showed that surgeons that played video games in their free time improved in surgical skill and had a decrease in surgical errors.

Another thought about gaming is that it causes attention problems and makes it easier for one to get distracted. This is not the case, as there are studies that disprove this theory. For example, you may or may not have heard of the Stroop Test. In this test, you are given two sets of colored words. In the first set, you are timed while reading the actual word, not the color. In the second set, you have to recite the color of the word, not the word itself, which is more difficult. There is a conflict between the word and the color, and this test sees how fast you can resolve this conflict. Those who indulge in gaming are significantly faster at reciting the correct words in the Stroop test, proving that video games do not elevate distractibility or lower attention spans.

Next time, if you’re playing video games and someone demands you to turn off the TV and do something else, rebut by telling them that gaming is actually beneficial in many ways. Hopefully you’ll be able to keep on dominating the world of gaming.