Is The Phone For Good? It seems So: Concentration through Games

For many years, people have used board games, puzzles, and card games to make their minds better but when the internet and mobile technology came, there was a new type of tool, and you can try a new method — concentration game online, which has special benefits and possibilities.

Online Games for Developing Concentration

The main difference between these games and old games is that they are interactive, easy to get, and can change for the player’s level. They do not just entertain you, but they also give you a structured way to train your mind.

Let’s look at some examples of these games from the Mind Elevate app:

Rocket Maneuver 

This game needs the player to be fully focused and in control. The main task is to control a rocket very carefully, collecting objects in a specific order which is from smallest to biggest, and also avoiding crashing into asteroids and meteorites.

• Coordination: The player must watch the rocket’s path and the movement of objects at the same time so that they can avoid a crash and also get the correct item. 
• Attention: For a player to finish a level, they need to stay focused on two important tasks: collecting objects in the right order and avoiding things that are in the way. 
• Reaction: When the game’s speed and the number of obstacles increase, the player needs to make decisions right away and react quickly to the changing situation.

Galactic Shooter 

Galactic Shooter is a game which focuses on being accurate and having a fast reaction. The player needs to shoot correctly at the colored parts around a planet to destroy it.

• Attention: The player must focus on their target and not be distracted by other parts, even if they are flashing or moving. This trains your selective attention, which is the ability to choose the main thing from many things that can distract you.
• Accuracy: Success depends on shooting accurately. Doing the actions of aiming and correcting the path again and again makes your eye-hand coordination better and improves your fine motor skills.
• Fast Reaction: The parts can move at different speeds, and to destroy them you need a quick and accurate shot. The game creates situations where every second is important, and this directly trains your reaction speed.

Planetary Scout 

The main part of the game is an arrow which moves in a circle and skips over elements. After each move, the player must answer “yes” or “no” by comparing the current element with the next one. 

• Working Memory: To answer correctly, the player must keep the previous element in their mind and compare it with the current one. This constant “reviewing” of information in your mind trains your working memory very well.
• Attention and Focus: Although the game may seem slow, it needs constant attention so you do not miss the moment and compare the elements correctly. Any distraction can cause a mistake.
• Analytical Skills: The “yes/no” task needs immediate analysis and making a decision, which develops the ability to quickly judge information and make conclusions.

Benefits of Online Games vs Offline Games

1. Incredible Availability and Convenience. Online games are available on phones, tablets, and computers. This means that you can train your mind at any time and in any place, for example, on a bus, during a lunch break, or while waiting in a line.
2. Personalization and Adaptability. Online platforms can look at your results and change the difficulty of the tasks in real time. If the game is too easy for you, it will automatically increase the speed or add new elements to keep the difficulty level good. In offline games, this is not possible: the difficulty level is fixed, or it depends on the rules, and changing it needs effort from the player.
3. Tracking Progress and Analytics. One of the main benefits of digital platforms is the ability to follow your progress. Games can record your results, note your strong and weak points, and show you how you are getting better in different thinking skills, like attention, memory, and reaction. 
4. Real-Time Feedback. In online games, the feedback is immediate. You immediately see if your move was correct, if you reacted in time, and how many points you earned. This immediate response helps you to change your behavior faster and learn from mistakes.
5. Competitive and Social Aspects. Many online games have leaderboards, achievements, and the chance to compete with friends or other players around the world. This competitive feeling is a powerful motivator which makes you want to come back to the game again and again, trying to make your results better.
6. Economic Efficiency and Variety. Often, one subscription to an app gives you access to dozens or even hundreds of different games, and each of them trains a specific skill.

Phone Settings for Improving Concentration

Smartphones, which are often thought of as the main source of distraction, can also be a tool for training concentration if you set them up correctly. Managing notifications and screen time is the first step to getting control of your attention again.

1. “Do Not Disturb” Mode. This mode allows you to turn off all or most notifications, calls, and sounds when you do not need them.

• Scheduling: You can set the mode to turn on automatically at a certain time of day, for example, during work, study, or sleep.
• Exceptions: You can set the mode flexibly to let calls from specific contacts come through or to allow a second call from the same number, which means you will not miss a very important message.
• Silence: In “Do Not Disturb” mode, all notifications, including vibrations, are blocked, which allows you to be fully focused on your task.

2. Turning Off Notifications for Unimportant Apps. Think about if you really need instant notifications from all of your apps. You can choose to turn them off for social media, news feeds, or games. This lets you check them when you want to, not because of a signal from your phone.

3. Using “Greyscale” Mode. Studies show that bright screen colors actively make your brain work and get your attention. Changing to greyscale mode makes the screen less appealing, which makes you less likely to “just pick up the phone and scroll through the feed.” Many phones have a built-in function which allows you to turn on this mode on a schedule, for example, before you sleep.

4. Limiting Screen Time. iOS and Android operating systems have built-in tools for tracking and limiting the time you spend on certain apps. You can set limits for social media or video apps, and when the limit is reached, the app will be blocked.

5. Organizing Your Home Screen. The fewer icons and widgets you have on your main screen, the fewer temptations there are — move all of the distracting apps from the first page, leaving only the most important ones.

Optimal Time for Use

The time of day when it is best to use concentration games or turn on “Do Not Disturb” mode depends on your personal chronotype, which is the internal schedule that your body works on.

• Morning “larks” are most productive in the first part of the day. For them, it is best to use concentration games in the morning, when their brain is not tired yet, and they can get it ready for being productive. “Do Not Disturb” mode should be on during this period to avoid distractions when you are at your most productive time.
• Evening “owls” have their best concentration in the second part of the day or in the evening. They should use games in the evening to train their mind when it is most active. During the day, when concentration might be lower, you can use games to “warm up” before your main work.

If you feel that your concentration is getting worse and you need a short break, a game for 5-10 minutes can be a great choice instead of just scrolling through social media.

And, of course, you should not play concentration games too late at night, because the bright screen light and mental activity can make it hard to fall asleep.

Using online games and phone settings correctly will change them from a source of distraction for self-development, helping you to control your attention and be more productive in your daily life.