Gaming has come a long way from being considered a leisure activity for time pass to a way of earning millions of dollars in the entertainment industry. Over the last few years video games have seen some drastic changes and studies have already proven just how useful video games can be in improving our cognitive functions.
And now with more complex and specially-designed pc games, players are not only improving their memory and problem-solving skills but are also developing soft skills, which are super useful in the job market nowadays. But why and how exactly playing games is great to develop soft skills? Let’s find out.
What are Soft Skills?
For those of you who don’t know what Soft Skills are, these are personality traits like leadership, communication, teamwork, or time management that are often considered to be born-gifted. But in reality, people can develop these personality traits over time just like Hard Skills, which are often gained by experience. And one of the best ways to develop these personality traits is by playing games.
How do Video Games Help Develop Soft Skills?
Now, you might be wondering how? Well, if you have played modern multiplayer pc games, most of them require players to work well within teams and often with people they don’t know, which develops teamwork. Games like Counter-Strike GO require swift communication and deep planning in order to beat the opposite team, which is yet another quality many companies are looking for.
Different pc games help develop different soft skills depending on their gameplay and what they require from the player. Even if we talk about single-player games focusing on puzzle-solving with multiple that is to be done within a limited amount of time, they force players to think outside of the box and come up with ways to plan ahead and manage the time on hand efficiently.
Activities like these help develop critical thinking, creativity, communication, teamwork, and much more, which is crucial for the next-generation job market. This also saves companies a ton of time and resources by not having to train their employees in common soft skills like communication and teamwork. Gaming is even making its way into formal education and many universities and schools have already set up special programs to teach their students about video games besides teaching them how to create one using intuitive game development tools.
Why Do We Need Soft Skills?
One of the reasons why Soft Skills are becoming so valuable is because technical skills are being rapidly automated with the help of modern technology but Soft Skills are still pretty rare and not easily replaceable. And with the recent Pandemic, companies be it small or large, are moving towards modernization and soft skills are a must-have. And video games can help you achieve those skills in an entertaining way.
