Why videogames aren't so bad after all

For many years, videogames have been the subject of much criticism, especially from people of the older generation who have actually never played  one apart from wii fit. They are assosciated with violence, drugs  and if you believe my mum they rot your brain however, their benefits go unnoticed. As the next generation of consoles are soon to be released, I believe it is just to explore some iof these benefits.

Firstly, videogames contribute massively to GDP. In 2009, the video game industry made up $4.95 billion of the US' GDP whilst in the UK, the games development sector adds approximately £1 billion to our GDP per annum. We can expect these figures to rise by at least 2014, as the global market for video games is predicted to rise to a whopping $86.8 billion in said year, possibly due to the next-generation of consoles such as the PS4. Compare this to the $52.5 billion it was in 2009 and
you can immediately sense the potential economic benefits of the industry on a big scale.

On a small scale,  the employment the industry offers in the UK is also admirable, employing 9000 development staff. But there's more. In the UK, 95% of game businesses export their games/services to overseas markets whilst on average, 45% of their turnover is made from exports.Therefore, not only do videogames heavily contribute to the UK's GDP, they are also beneifcial in reducing the trade deficit and in boosting aggregate demand.

On top of these economic benefits, there are also individual benefits which may come as quite a surprise to some. One is that gamers are apparently better drivers. Yes, I know your all saying "...but I skip every traffic light, crash into every car and run everyone over when I play GTA" however, it is believed that shooters such as Battlefield enhance our visual attention circuits crucial to driving.
Amongst others,  they improve hand - eye co-ordinatian and can improve someone's creativity.

 To conlcude, clearly videogames are better than people think. Sure they may lead some people to homicidal acts, sure they teach us that nazis liked to eat brains (this may be true though you never know) and sure games like fifa break up friendships, but if they're good enough for the economy, then they're good enough for me.