How Years of Gaming Weakens Brain's Ability to Problem Solve | Executive Dysfunction

[@HealthyGamerGG]

Title is kind of a bit clickbaity, there's more context to how gaming affects the brain's capacity for open-ended and closed-ended problem-solving in relation to executive dysfunction. Gaming helps close-ended problem solving, but reduces open-ended problem-solving. If you are trying to learn more about the methodology and theory behind meditation, as well as practices, check out Dr. K's Guide: bit.ly/3h5HjtA

[@williamstewart7399]

Interesting concept I’ve never heard of 😅. I used to mostly play more open decision games like Rust, do you think these sort of games have different impacts on your executive function?

[@Laroac]

I see that there us a lack of data into different genres and types of players.

[@HealthyGamerGG]

@@williamstewart7399 This is not Dr. K, but I think open-ended open world games probably use a bit more open-ended problem solving, however games in general simplify the number of variables when compared to life. Games in general are easier to analyze and break down than life processes if that makes sense

[@williamstewart7399]

@@HealthyGamerGG that makes sense, thanks!

[@mfpuma_]

Clickbaiting for a good cause

[@TheDhammaHub]

The problem with most modern games is that they rob you of challenges that _require problem-solving_ . When you are no longer confronted with such things, you automatically become bad at it

[@juanpunchman5484]

I like games like Crusader Kings II because in that game, there isn't really a goal and you have to set yourself goals and the game doesn't tell you how you can reach those goals. You have to plan it out yourself.

[@piyushpandey5978]

Old school dungeon crawling games. Those sh*ts were tough.

[@angelicking2890]

Yeah true I suppose I didn't think of it that way because I am a history nerd . When I see the Roman Empire halved I gotta reconquer it or when I see the illustrious Abbasid dynasty in shambles I am obliged to establish its prestige . But I do notice people play ck2 in different ways and one notable way is RPing .

[@notbrad4873]

Yeah it's not the games' fault, it's our fault for not diversifying our hobbies. Yes I know games exploit us to harvest our time and money, so the company's do bear some fault when they intentionally seek to exploit us with behavioural psychology and intentional addiction functionalities, but the majority of games werent designed this way until the last 5-10 years

[@Mind_Crimes]

They don't respect your time, money, skill, or intelligence either. These AAA games that've been churning out the last 10 or so years are glorified Skinner Boxes.

[@Dr_Hax]

we did it gamers: we're officially braindead

[@Shadow77999]

Lmfao 😂

[@tyronedeckwad4051]

this is an epic gamer moment

[@jamesmccloud7535]

Gamers, rise up! Stop gaming too much lmao

[@MICROKNIGHT3000]

Healthy gaming only

[@RmX.]

Oh I gotta reduce the gaming time from 10h a day to 9h 😅

[@deusexaethera]

The fascinating thing about this lecture is that I have ADHD and executive dysfunction, and I keep getting tasked with writing user manuals at work because I'm so good at breaking down large tasks into step-by-step instructions without making false assumptions about what the reader already knows how to do. Apparently I taught myself how to operationalize at some point in the past. So there's a job opportunity for someone with ADHD: Writing user manuals.

[@testosteronic]

That's funny, I've got ADHD, and after I lost my office job (which expected a huge amount of multitasking) my mum commented that I should get a job writing manuals. And I've written step by step lists for myself of regular tasks for days when brain won't do the thing

[@deusexaethera]

@@chadsteadman2604: It's not clear to me why a better understanding of the problem would scare you.

[@gnarthdarkanen7464]

It's worth mention that correlation is NOT causation. Just because a lot of people with ADHD also experience Executive Dysfunction does NOT mean everyone with Executive Dysfunction necessarily has ADHD... AND likewise, not everyone with ADHD necessarily experiences any Executive Dysfunction. The science (academia as well as clinical) is still "out" on the debate of what actually causes Executive Dysfunction or ADHD... It's also worth a mention that we're still dubiously exploring the realm of Neuro-plasticity, that is, the brain's ability to "rewire itself" to perform when necessary. We're still advancing and learning all the time... It's entirely within the realm of possibility that you found a practice, by writing the user manuals, of teaching yourself the skills over and over... AND in that habit, you may have engaged the neuro-plasticity to change your brain and develop better executive functions... NOT to say that's necessarily what you actually did... BUT it's possible... so maybe. It's also possible you never had Executive Dysfunction to begin with... I mean... If there are people who can suffer Executive Dysfunction without being clinically diagnosed with ADHD, then there's likely people with ADHD who don't have Executive Dysfunction among their symptoms... I'm not there to observe you or your life... SO that's something you should take up with someone who knows you better than a faceless dude on the web... AND if you have managed to "beat" the Executive Dysfunction, more power to you. Go win that Nobel and help a bunch of other people learn to break abstract tasks down into "user manual" instructions for themselves... ;o)

[@TheHouseElf]

SAME!

[@kangsankim6992]

@@gnarthdarkanen7464 How can you be diagnosed as having ADHD and not have executive function problem since ADHD is an executive function deficit disorder (EFDD)?

[@Eraeyan]

I know this is late but a tip for everyone: Don't search up a problem when playing games, experiment, explore and try and figure it out. Enemy is too strong? Experiment and figure out it's weakness instead of searching it. Can't figure out a puzzle? Keep trying in new ways, or maybe you need to come back to it later. Don't know how a certain item works? Try it out, dont watch a video on it. This is what we did as children before we had KZbin and it was a lot more engaging and rewarding. Obviously if its too hard then you can, but exhaust all your options first

[@Ty-er5ok]

@Nephalem - Exactly! I only resort to KZbin or online guides only if I have spent HOURS trying to figure it out. That's better than just giving up.

[@FosukeLordOfError]

I love this comment and agree. Figuring things out on my own is my favorite part. But I do want to point out a notable exception that was rather frustrating. Links awakening was my first zelda game I knew nothing of the series. The first dungeon has a puzzle with a door that won't open unless you push a specific block in the room into the right spot. Nothing indicates this I spent months banging my head against it before finally caving in and looking up a guide. Still salty about that. Rest of the game was great.

[@superdupeninja8149]

Yea I’m not wasting hours when I can find the answer online…time is money

[@sushi_17]

I have a bad habit of searching walkthroughs before playing a video game. In a sense, it's like perfectionism where I don't wanna see myself fail so I gather all needed info to get through a game, even watching someone finish it from 0. I would usually get bored midway in playing that certain game cause I've already seen the ending, just like subnautica. I know it seems dumb but I can't get over this habit of mine

[@cbazxy2697]

​@@superdupeninja8149hmm... then why are you wasting time playing video games?

[@solace2354]

I have ptsd of 8 years old me trying to find all the triforce pieces in wind waker with no internet and couldn’t read or speak English. My solution was to trade some Yugioh cards for information at school with some of the kids that had found pieces i didn’t have. I made them draw an x on a map I spent like 2 hours replicating on paper. No I didn’t know what was the purpose of tingle back then... After like 3 months and 150ish hours of searching this damn map I managed to finally finish this game and I’m gonna be honest, it felt better then the day I received my degree.

[@sonofatlas1372]

That ghost ship had got me to my boiling point 😂

[@Eddie2P]

ya for a kids game they really made it hard to understand what to do.

[@molypoly6884]

sigma male right here!

[@CaveyMoth]

Put this in your resume.

[@Batmanshypeman]

I got Omega Ruby for my daughter and I told her the goal of the game is to get the 8 badges and beat the elite 4. She kept asking me for where to find things how to progress and told her I’m not going to tell you where to find things because when I was a kid I had to wander around the map asking people things till I found what I needed. She’s got all 8 badges and is working in the elite 4 right now with little to no help from me and I couldn’t be happier. Same with Donkey Kong Tropical Freeze I told her I’m not going to beat levels for her or anything and shes working it out for herself. I have to remind her to take a deep breath and think about the solutions you’ve tried so far when she starts to get frustrated. Sometimes it helps and sometimes I have to tell her to take a break.

[@JerryReyes]

Worst part is when you actually get confronted with a difficult puzzle but end up looking for the solution online lol

[@ashishshenoy3778]

when you end up looking online because you realize youre not smart enough anymore to figure it out by yourself - thats truly the worst

[@alienstales]

Isn't that still problem solving tho? You went with the easier solution but you still solved rhe problem.

[@TwoForFlinchin1]

@@ashishshenoy3778 There's nothing wrong with looking stuff up. Sometimes games just aren't well designed.

[@QueueTeePies]

@@alienstales But you took the thinking process out which is critical. Probably better to think of a possible solution and then compare it with the answer to see where the mistake is.

[@pfft3158]

@@alienstales I don't think Googling da question is Problem Solving.

[@Bori.1776]

The paralysis on taking an action, wether you’re smart or not, is a real fucking thing and something I’ve struggled with for such a long time.

[@iworkforwendys]

what's awesome is every once and a while somebody will know your paralyzed. I have had somebody turn an open ended issue into a do this in this order and it's a mindfuckening. but it just works. I have learned to just do what I can and if there's a problem somebody will let you know. now that being said you can't do that for everything and anything. don't just run into no man's land because you got shell shock in ww2. unless your trying to get shot. I guess what I'm saying is success in video games is always unorthodox. so instead of valuing what everyone else does, flip the game on them and you can win. how do you flip the game. use what you know about other usless shit, we all know you got enough in there to make a dent. for ex. geometry has taught me how to square certain things in construction without the need for conventional tools, it saves money and time. this Is why I think gamers can do closed ended better than average. we are used to speed running for reward. not the other way around.

[@MrTNT49]

Oh God I have this and I didn't even know about it until I watched this video.

[@falion2850]

I‘ve been trying to get myself to talk to a therapist about that but I just can‘t get myself to make an appointment. Meanwhile I‘m failing college classes because I play games instead of attending class. It‘s so frustrating and I just don‘t know how to get out of this loop...

[@Bori.1776]

@@iworkforwendys For me it does affect me pretty bad, I’m in the military and I can honestly say it’s affected my career negatively.

[@__-fi6xg]

@@falion2850 you are overwhelmed by your problems. Take it slow,step by step. Cleaning your room should be enough at first. Maybe take a 5 minute walk after that. And after some time has passed, 1-2 month or so , the last exercise is, change behaviour. Start the day with a cold shower for example, train yourself to be more spontanious.workout at home and go more outside, biketour, jogging, e skateboard. But dont try to force it, you have to make a deal with yourself. You will feel much better if you once get the bad behaviours out of your system and only game if there is time for it. I went from 8 years wow player who played dayli 10 hours to 4 hours a week max, my trigger however was my frustration. It got so big, i could no t bear it anymore so there was never a conflict inside me after that point was reached. I wasnt happy with myself and i couldnt life like that anymore, i just didnt want to anymore. And if i can make it, you can too. Just dont lose as much time as i did. I am 35 soon and there is still so much i havent done yet, like sailing or world travel and such things.

[@Lyrog]

This makes so much sense now! I noticed that I'm having an extremely hard time getting myself to work (3d modelling & animation), but as soon as somebody is next to me, and I'm explaining to them step by step what I'm doing and why, the work goes so fluently and is actually fun.

[@A180cc]

I have an action figure (Goku from Dragon Ball Z) which I carry around to explain my thought process to. It is as if I'm not able to break tasks down into chunks without speaking them out loud. Talking out loud to myself doesn't work in my case, but talking to a prop actually works. It's weird for a 24 year old man to talk to a doll. But hey fuck me right, if it works it works.

[@GGreenHeart]

@@A180cc Programmers will often talk to rubber ducks to help find subtle problems hiding in the steps of their code! I've found that talking out each step, whether with a friend or a plush, helps me break down a task and "instruct" myself to identify each piece and get it done.

[@A180cc]

@@GGreenHeart didn't know that, thanks for the insight!

[@ArcticWolfOfficial]

Ive sort if noticed that as well. I’ll be in the middle of working on a song, and i know that i have to do X Y and Z to finish the song and get it ready for release but, i end up just listening to what i have at the moment and just sit there staring lol

[@jascu4251]

@@A180cc The cardboard consultant!

[@AlexanderArts]

A lot of games actually require you to plan out how to get larger tasks done by completing smaller tasks first, such as Minecraft. That whole game is you figuring out your own goals and how to accomplish them bit by bit with various subtasks. "Playing video games" is too broad. That's like saying reading is bad because childrens' books are too simple for adults. There are a lot of other kinds of books to read other than childrens books, just like there are a lot of more challenging videogames than Genshin Impact.

[@gandalf_the_purplewithredd2057]

That's a good argument when i play warframe i have to take time ,math statistics and problem solving in consideration and the sequence of Action i'm going to take ,but most popular games like COD and CS:GO Just requires me to shoot faster than my enemy

[@AlexanderArts]

@@gandalf_the_purplewithredd2057 Right. His example of Genshin Impact is basically glorified gambling hidden under an action RPG façade. I don't think that's a good example of the depth that many video games offer. Videogames is such a broad term now, much more than books or movies. A videogame can be a visual novel, a cinematic experience, a strategic war game, a frantic twitch shooter, an artistic and creative tool, a gambling time-waster, an emotional music-driven exploration game, or even game-making within a game itself. You can't just say "video games" and have any point make sense for all these types of interaction.

[@gandalf_the_purplewithredd2057]

@@AlexanderArts I agree ,but it's worth to mention that it's hard to find actually good and different strategy and thinking required games because it's easier to profit from a simple shooter with no New mechanics or original thinking ,not going to blame the developers though it's business you do what keeps you alive

[@GLnoG420]

@@gandalf_the_purplewithredd2057 Uhm, i dont want to sound ridiculous, but i think that simplifiying cod and csgo like that is wrong tbh. Csgo is considered by many to be a some sort of "chess with guns", and cod somewhat requires strategy as well (not as much as csgo, but some). Also, they both require you to think fast, otherwise you'll lose, and csgo also reaquires muscular memory (aim). Thats all have a nice day 👍

[@matilozano96]

@@GLnoG420 Yeah, I was thinking the same. You can see players plan ahead their rounds in CS considering their income, the rest of the team's economy, etc. Basically, the shooter game goes alongside a resource management game for competitive matches. It's daunting to learn, but fascinating to look at to say the least.

[@Thetf2engineerheh]

Highest lvl of abstraction: "I WANT TO KILL CHAOS"

[@someguy315]

LMAO

[@koalakontrol]

I really appreciate Dr. K giving me the toolset to articulate to my peers what I'm trying to work through

[@Fighter11115]

Holy shit it's the Koala Kontrol!

[@vlax_]

cap fact check what he says before believing this shit

[@sevay]

you are not koalafied to be on this plane

[@nicklol8269]

Uh i'v kinda been just passing this off as a really bad procrastination problem i think? Talk about a new meaning to soul draining games xD.

[@abhinavaditya3516]

I think more than video games online schools are making students brain dead I mean I my school they teach accounting by dictating like srsly these so called "veteran teachers" have no pation in their job and don't give a fuck about students even after getting paid a decent amout of money it's just sad

[@kovenmaitreya7184]

"Operationalizing problems" I'm a gamer and have generally had terrible executive function throughout my life. Going through Aircraft mechanic school right now, I took what they do with the gargantuan task of maintaining aircraft and began applying it to my life in everything... this is exactly that. Everything is broken down into discrete, accomplishable task and becomes much more manageable. I wish I had this type of training as a child, tbh.

[@HereTakeAFlower]

Sounds amazing

[@abhinavaditya3516]

I think more than video games online schools are making students brain dead I mean I my school they teach accounting by dictating like srsly these so called "veteran teachers" have no pation in their job and don't give a fuck about students even after getting paid a decent amout of money it's just sad

[@criminalchicken499]

Wait... Your teachers get paid in monkeys? Holy shit. I wanna visit! @@abhinavaditya3516

[@LutherLee]

Learning programming has similar effects. You break down a complex task into simpler problems and then write exact instructions that a machine can pragmatically follow.

[@abhinavaditya3516]

​@@criminalchicken499 what?

[@Dhalin]

Reading down through the comments in this video, I think a lot of people are mistaking Executive Dysfunction for Lethargy/Lack of Motivation/Depression. There's a difference between "I wanna clean my room but I can't figure out how to arrive at the goal of having a clean room" and "I wanna clean my room but I just don't feel like doing it." the latter, you _know_ how to actually clean your room, you _know_ all the steps required to do it, but you just don't feel like it... either because you're tired, or you're depressed, or you're distracted by something else, what-not. That's not what he's talking about here. He's talking about wanting to do something but not knowing how to actually go about it. An easy way to visualize this: If you're not an artist, or a professional writer, say to yourself "I'm going to draw a picture of (insert complicated thing here)." Pick up a pencil and try to draw it. If you're anything like me, you'll stare at the paper and go "I dunno how to actually start it, though..." or writing a story... you might get a beginning/middle/end of the story, but actually starting out and writing the chapters, it'll be like "eh... I don't even have enough to make a short story and I dunno how to fill it in without it sounding stupid". It's similar to that.

[@idkyolo988]

This!

[@silentobserver888]

Bro you literally spoke into existence the words for my own personal issues as an artist and aspiring writer. Not wanting to sound like an idiot even though the ideas are concrete in concept the actual words used is another thing all together. It’s almost like the fear of failure. Like you feel almost like you need a prior writing portfolio to prove your capable of pulling off your own first novel.

[@Dhalin]

@@silentobserver888 That's because I once had aspirations myself. I've had a few decent ideas that could make for what I always thought could be nice stories, but actually getting the words on paper is hard. That, and focus was never my strong point lol. That doesn't help either.

[@bulldozer8950]

That’s a very good way of putting it.

[@MarshallTheArtist]

Executive disfunction is not a lack of knowledge, but a lack of volitional ability to do what you know you need to do.

[@ThatVibrato]

Personally, I think it depends on what games you play. My friends and I have thought we're more outgoing and execute tasks better as we've played more FPS or competitive type of games because they really teach you how to make decisions on the spot. You need to think of all the possible worse and best case scenarios within a few split seconds and make a decision. So, I think it is all on how you process and think things in your head + what games you play.

[@autonomyseeker6082]

my thoughts exactly

[@amywiseman8310]

This is so interesting and you have a very similar response to what I've heard of. The case I recall was a mother with a son who had ADHD and EF and tasks would overload and overwhelm him. "Get ready for school" was too much of a big task and would freeze him and freak him out, so one day she took a picture of him when he was ready for school and started showing it to him as what "ready for school" looked like and then he was able to visualize the tasks and get them done. Same if he went to a birthday party and would get anxiety. Before the party, she would help him look up images of what he should expect from that party, pictures of the venue, images of cake and whatnot, and that helped him to lose the anxiety, etc. Thanks for sharing! Really useful! I may have some mild EF myself because I panic and freeze when tasks are too big for me. Great tips!

[@apticunotoo7065]

As someone with ADHD, executive dysfunction is normal in my everyday life. if you aren't used to it or find strategy's along with medication to help it, it can completely ruin your life. not to mention the comorbidities on top of that. Im trying to get medication right now, but lots of doctors don't do any of their own research on ADHD and have no clue what they're talking about. I guess the moral of this story is find a good doctor or therapist that has your best interests at mind and actually cares about you, instead of not believing in you.

[@skeletoninyourbody9896]

Yeah living with adhd my whole life (which just is another story really) and executive dysfunction is something you just gotta reconcile with. It's there and it's going to stay, some days it's easier to deal with it, some not. Meds help if you're lucky, lucky to find a proper doc or just because of how your body received the meds. Many people have no idea how hard it is to live with it and they blame you for being lazy or so...no Jannet, I may be a bit lazy, but even not doing things I love like art or gaming because of executive dysfunction should tell you a lot. It's like a constant struggle in my head.

[@faikerdogan2802]

@Daniel that hits deep. Cries in unemployment at age 25 😭

[@markusoreos.233]

Try meditating while concentrating the most you can in not thinking every morning. It will improve your day-to-day concentration.

[@faikerdogan2802]

@@markusoreos.233 I think meditation is useless for ADHD people

[@Limemill]

I think the opposite. ADHD people are to benefit the most from meditation as long term practice increases dopamine supply that is lacking in ADHD brains. But it may be more challenging / frustrating for people with ADHD at first

[@tugger]

I have ADHD and have to be extremely deliberate about setting about a task, otherwise getting things done is like competing swarms of bees in my head snipping at a task bit by bit. Start one task, start another task, start third task, and then oscillate between tasks.

[@unclescipio3136]

"Competing swarms of bees" resonates with me. I refer to it as 'butterfly brain' when it happens. Like, my brain just flutters around, occasionally stopping at a flower for a bit, but most of the time is spent slowly going from flower to flower, transitioning between tasks but not actually on task for most of the time.

[@Tyeus22]

I'm actually struggling with this right now and I'm very happy you used finding a job as the example because despite being in my 20s I still have no idea how to get a job despite being acutely aware of everything you just talked about. Its hard to explain to my family and it makes me feel like a disappointment as the paralysis takes hold and I'm constantly stuck inside my home feeling miserable while the whole world turns without me. I've been trapped like this for 3 years. This video gave me the tools to understand what I need to do so thank you very much for that.

[@manhunt6662]

i have felt this exact way for two years now and in the same situation, people really don't know the real struggle to not be able to do what you have to do, but im glad that im not alone

[@Goozeeeee]

Hope you’re in a somewhat better place!

[@cavemann_]

I thought I was alone. Strangely enough, reading your comment is conforming. Hopefully this video has the information I need desperately right now.

[@eridiance9818]

@@cavemann_ did it?

[@The_Sila_Solo]

I have had a problem with games, I've been wired from a young age but because of quarantine and me mindlessly playing games throughout the two years. Slowly my mind has been blanking and I haven't been able to actually think clearly of a thought, I feel as if my brain has lost a spark. This hasn't been a problem in my life untill my gaming hobby spiraled out of control and I believe I think this video has really helped me try to think about my problem. Thank you so much for not being biased like news outlets and explaining clearly and in detail the problem that has probably affected others!

[@H03dur]

I just realized that learning programming probably lifted my executive dysfunction.

[@QueueTeePies]

Seems logical. Programming essentially is constant problem solving.

[@AnymMusic]

for me making music likely had. like music production is basically just one giant puzzle. what sounds work with what you make, how do you make everything fit together, etc.

[@simon-wt]

Just thought about this. I'm also a programmer but I feel like my executive functioning is still not leveled up so much. It might depend on the way I'm programming. Because yea programming is a constant problem solving but if literally only google and let google tell me what to try and what to do its not leveling up very fast. But if I am really aware of the problem and try to find a way to solve this problem before I spam random google searches then my executive functioning could propably benefit way better

[@H03dur]

@@simon-wt Yea i see what you are saying. In my case it probably helped that I have a formal education in programming, where programming without google was incentivised for the first two years.

[@arik_dev]

100%. I was thinking the same thing

[@ozzi9816]

I feel like there's something to be said about correlation not equaling causation- I feel like it could be possible that games at least partly attract people that had issues with executive functioning and open-ended problem solving to begin with, rather than causing it (at least entirely)

[@nathancasey7712]

Possibly but I’d lean towards it causing it. I don’t remember having any of those issues as a child but definitely can recognize the impact of playing a ton of games throughout my youth and into my adulthood. Who knows maybe it’s both but I just got into games because they were fun.

[@gleipnirrr]

as someone who's been playing games since 5 (now 31) and having went through and gained control of my executive disfunction, i'd agree with you. what caused my ED was depression coupled with trauma. therapy helped me get back my life, and i gamed about the same all over the course of my life so far. Gaming is simply an escape. it provides a source of dopamine when you can't rely on the tasks you should be doing for it.

[@MatiasMaldona3]

@@user-zq9su8jv2k seems like you are projecting, as he didnt even insinuate watching porn or something similar.

[@galacticpotata8192]

I think it depends what kinda game. Games that reward you for anything and don't require much problem solving will most likely make you dumber. Games that require you to think and solve things yourself could actually increase. Like baba is you or technically terraria since it's a game with no actual goal and you just explore unless you're using a guide. Since guides honestly throw out any type of thinking out the window.

[@frantisekfojt8688]

Might be a reason to enjoy different games as well

[@nathanielsmith6065]

One thing I find oddly helps me a lot with operationalizing a task is verbalizing each step of the process as if I am doing a tutorial for someone else on KZbin. It's the strangest thing and it will probably feel silly at first but try it out. For me it works pretty well for things you need to do *right now*

[@jackieweaver3884]

Definitely agree. I do that too while studying something that i find difficult or that i dont want to do, i start reading it out loud as if I'm teaching a class. Works wonders

[@Ronin.97]

hands down agree here

[@Vysair]

It's called echo chamber or some sort of echo. The same way people do to strengthen their memorization of this particular thing by saying it out loud or repeating it in the head over and over again

[@acronos1599]

Talking outloud is one of the strategies that we use in our childhood to organize thought, plan our actions, guide our behavior etc... This private speech can also be used as a tool in adulthood for the same purpose, although more often than not we internalize it and it turns into another form of thought. If you are interested in reading more about it, check out Vygotsky and his work surrounding the relationship between thought and speech. There's a lot of authors who have studied this relationship besides him, such as Chomsky, but Vygotsky is the one who pretty much created this field of psychology.

[@smurfsmurf4502]

cant count how many times I've noticed myself "ok so since we did this NOW we're gonna do this"

[@sae5377]

This video was super helpful. I have a lot of trouble with executive dysfunction as someone with ADHD, depression, anxiety and CPTSD. The other day while playing witcher 3 I was thinking and wishing my life could be like a game: being able to do all these challenging and cool things, completing quests, "winning" at life without this constant mental struggle--always being told what to do next. I never thought about how games do all the executive functioning for you and that's why I find it easy to work through the problems the character is enduring. I think I've gotten really good at breaking tasks down into their components but I still struggle with executing those basic tasks. Still lots to work on, but I'm appreciative to have a new perspective on the ED issues.

[@picapica201]

_"I've gotten really good at breaking tasks down into their components but I still struggle with executing those basic tasks."_ This is the reverse of what this video is discussing, actually. You can think of tasks but not do them, gamers are the other way around. _"while playing witcher 3 I was thinking and wishing my life could be like a game: being able to do all these challenging and cool things, completing quests, "winning" at life without this constant mental struggle--always being told what to do next."_ Having the tasks written down and prepared is great because you don't have to think about what to do anymore, it lets you use your mental energy for other purposes. Also, performing tasks in games is slightly easier than in real life, which is another factor. If you have CPTSD all you're describing may be caused by a sort of "permanent" _brain fog:_ it's difficult to think and concentrate, to remember the short term goals & tasks, and everything seems harder than it should be because of constant lack of mental/executive energy. It's not that you're lazy, you actually have it harder than normal people if this is the case. It's not _you,_ it's brain fog. There are a few mechanisms by which brain fog may be induced, like vitamin D & Magnesium deficiency (these two are strongly connected) (or was that vitamin B12 and others too?), or inflammation in the brain, or some auto-immune response in the brain, or some fungi. Generally speaking PTSD brain fog comes from the brain being stuck in fight & flight response, so amygdala keeps firing and frontal lobes activity is decreased or something like that. But maybe dealing with the specific mechanism that applies in your case can help with the brain fog even before you deal with the trauma. Well, checking your vitamin D & Mg levels can certainly tell you where the lack of energy comes from. But as always on this channel, _meditation_ helps if you keep doing it every day. Like, it _actually_ helps. What is your depression and anxiety caused by?

[@Mrs_Puffington]

Great content, but I think this title needs some work. Generalizing this much is a bit too click baity for me. I mean, if there are negative effects of watching too many dumb movies you wouldn‘t call that whole demographic „movie watchers“ would you? I think renaming a video like this into „what bad game design does with your brain“ would be more accurate and also more inviting to gamers and maybe even developers themselves. Just sayin‘ ;)

[@AA-rh5ee]

He doesn't care, he's a streamer. Accurate information comes second, views come first.

[@jessestewart5109]

Well said.

[@D_Jilla]

@@AA-rh5ee the statement just sounds extremely pessimistic

[@AA-rh5ee]

@@D_Jilla It's true. Never look at a twitch streamer of all things for education or real value. They're here to get paid for entertainment, that's all. Sometimes they do this via slightly more productive ways (politics/therapy/whatever), but make no mistake, it's all about the moola.

[@D_Jilla]

@@AA-rh5ee sure I'll agree that ppl want to make a living off streamimg. If you I think this applies to Dr. K then you don't know dr. K... he's not a streamer and he doesn't do this to make money nor does he need to. In fact he spent a lot of money on healthy gamer. So just because there's some truth their statement doesn't mean that belief it's true. That's why I say it's purely pessimism / cynicism

[@cdiessner711]

I am on the Autism spectrum and still struggle with this sometimes. When I was younger I gravitated to video games because it gave me a sense of structure in an unpredictable world. The problem was I would avoid uncertainty and isolate myself from others in order to stay "safe". It took going to college and learning to calendar block my work, school, and hobbies that I was able to overcome this.

[@IntoxicusFreeman]

Which is not gaming's fault. If used properly gaming could help us on the Spectrum "practice" for real life in a safe space

[@cdiessner711]

@@IntoxicusFreeman I definitely agree that some games can be beneficial for practicing long term planning. It's the more linear stuff that holds you by the hand that tends to weaken that ability.

[@IntoxicusFreeman]

@@cdiessner711 Sure, but that is a lot more nuanced than "How Years of Gaming Damages Brain's Ability to Problem Solve" because that means it's not gaming alone as a broad and that context and nuance matters. You could say the same about any media. Mediocre fluffy media of any kind without substance is not going to be of much value. And media of any kind that has substance and density can be of great value in many ways. Replace "media of any kind" gaming and you should understand my point. At the end of the day it's not the tools fault if people use the tool poorly. The tool simply "is." It's how people use it and in what context that matters.

[@dindaunaroma3626]

People who don't have autism won't get it, but I get you so much! 🥺

[@dawn-blade]

Ghost Bush: what am I supposed to do if I am 23 and completely stunted, paralyzed, anxious and concerned all the time? The worst part is that I know in my heart that I'm not worthless or unintelligent, socially is where I struggle the most. I began isolating intensely during 2020 and withdrew from college due to overwhelming uncertainty and loss of motivation. I thought I was passionate about wildlife conservation biology, and I absolutely love nature and being "out there" exploring and admiring natural beauty. I don't know where it all fell apart, but I felt overwhelmed by the math courses and just couldn't handle it. I can't navigate the abstractness of calculus without someone holding my hand. I may have had imposter syndrome when I was in college as well, which made me feel like I just didn't belong in the class with these intelligent driven people. I don't know if I have executive dysfunction. I do know that I haven't been able to push myself to get a license and try to move out one day. I've been on my computer almost constantly since losing my brother 2 years ago, with no true friends or connections. I have a lack of clarity and motivation, (I should do x, but I want to do y) and so on. I am overwhelmed and I feel trapped in my head. I am so lonely too. 😭 💔

[@carneliansweetness]

Huh. My colleagues notice that I mutter to myself when I'm trying to solve a large issue. And what I do is basically talk myself through steps and it really helps a lot. I actually felt kind of embarrass when I found out I doing this but now I can see why. Thank you!

[@PX--mi3lj]

Place a rubber duck on your desk and pretend you're talking to the duck. It's a well known software development technique.

[@thekingoffailure9967]

I just talk to my dog

[@games68775]

I often talk to myself when solving problems as well, or at the very least have internal dialogue.

[@R8Spike]

I do it alot and get shamed for it from my mom, but I can't think as effective if I don't

[@thepsychicspoon5984]

I don't know why people take offensive to people talking to themselves. When people ask you just say, "I talk to myself because its the most intelligent conversation I've had all day".

[@AmbiCahira]

Holy smokes this gave me such a huge light bulb moment. I have ADD and am a gamer and up until age 17 or so this was a massive, massive problem of mine. At 17 I got a dog and had to raise her and train her so when she was afraid of something I had to figure out how to solve the fear and help her through it and for that I had to break down the baby steps for the dog to achieve success. Looking back I can see how much I improved in my everyday life from the dog training and teaching both useful things and tricks with positive reinforcement (which also helped me tackle problems out of a positive solution mindset). I'm currently doing the big concept of "learn a language" and I had no issues figuring out where I wanted to start and in what order. Who knew such a silly little hobby such as dog training could be such a life skill in the end and so helpful with the frustration that I used to have. Now that I'm aware of this I feel motivated to find other little exercises to improve even more. Now it also makes sense why so many people used to tell me to just get started and things can fall into place after that because starting is the hardest. Big wow.

[@GoVocaloider]

Also makes sense as to why they say that teaching things to others actually helps you learn those things better yourself. And it's why teachers should always use positive reinforcement. Good on you for training your dog and also for you helping yourself improve!

[@julianbell9161]

“How to optimize flow through a urology clinic.” That seems like a task a urologist would be trained in how to handle

[@D_Jilla]

How? My thoughts are a urologist would be good at Urology not optimizing flow of a urology clinic..

[@sandsalamand3763]

@@D_Jilla I think it was a pun on the usage of *flow*

[@D_Jilla]

​@@sandsalamand3763 Ahh! that makes sense! lol i can see that going over a lot peoples heads

[@Dan-ud8hz]

“The limits of my language means the limits of my world.” ― Ludwig Wittgenstein

[@jon9428]

"If you fart in the wind you only give it one option to move in" -Niels Bohr

[@Theohybrid]

"Clean your Room". (Ludwig the Holy Blade)

[@chafiqbantla1816]

Thats actually bullshit😂

[@TheOnlyRatDragon]

I'd be interested in seeing some of the research regarding gaming negatively impacting executive function. Dr. K's reasoning seems sound, but most of the research I encountered when I was getting my bachelor's seemed to point towards an increase in problem solving skills

[@vapeology4348]

I think a lot depends on the game and how much moderation is used. I think there are problems for kids or adults who spent years playing the same game without learning any adulting skills?

[@_WeDontKnow_]

I'm assuming it really depends on the type/genre of game, I was thinking about this as well. Some research on how different genres work different parts of your brain would be really interesting to look at

[@RemOmni]

40 year old gamer here been gaming at least 4 hours a day for the last 22 years and i make decisions very fast and solve problems even quicker.

[@vapeology4348]

@@RemOmni which game(s)?

[@TheBobbyStyles]

World of Warcraft for 12 hours a day addictively is the type of gaming I believe is the level of gaming that is doing this I believe

[@kebogu6123]

Dr k. You and OP are saints. This is what i go through. Never been able to work it out.

[@MyXrayz]

May i ask who OP is? :)

[@kebogu6123]

@@MyXrayz no, you may not (Original Poster)

[@Eldiran1]

i got you , 4chan user : )

[@stonefight6771]

@@Eldiran1 OP is not exclusively a 4chan term

[@heiltecn9ne]

Seems like there’s a conflicting view on gaming on one hand research says it improves ones problem solving and capability to react efficiently now we are told otherwise. In my opinion you seek whatever you want and can find it somewhere. Really like this guys work as a clinician.

[@Ali-cya]

The research is correct, however games often offer instant gratification which long term instead makes solving problems look more daunting and thus makes the issues much harder than what they really are.

[@Sneakyboson]

Starting to sound like the diet wars.

[@Pyrozoid]

I can relate to this "excecutive dysfunction" thingy. Whenever I've wanted to start doing something that I've never done before I've always been overwhelmed by how large of a goal it seemed in my head when I visualized it and I could never truly visualize it as a number of small steps that lead upto that goal. This vid has helped to at least recognise why I was having the problems that I was having. Thanks dude.

[@frostbite5081]

Portal 1 and 2 plus a whole lot of other puzzle solving games: *A h e m*

[@s.c.p-foundation6923]

Genshin Impact is also not as easy as he makes it out to be. Artifact management and team composition is also, in a sense, strategy. Of course I get what he's trying to say but I feel as if he generalized games a bit too much.

[@InjusticeJosh]

The Witness

[@theundesirable8398]

Postal 1 and 2

[@saniel2748]

@@InjusticeJosh In all of these you have a single goal and a set of possible things you can do. This is gamer thing

[@InjusticeJosh]

@@saniel2748 You’re right it still puts you in a very controlled environment. I just wanted to represent for a puzzle game which I thought was pretty great and very difficult.

[@Eric-jh5mp]

This man lives in my head rent free and scopes it out for video ideas, I sware. Why does every video seems so relevant to my life lately.

[@chafiqbantla1816]

Because its generic, since the digital space nearly effects everyone

[@jonathantybirk]

But surely then open-ended games will actually help you with this, right? Outer Wilds, Factorio, Minecraft, Breath of The Wild are games where the goal is either unclear or really open-ended, so you gotta work out how youre gonna get there yourself

[@JerryReyes]

Outer wilds is a gem

[@Vazio3]

Yes! Minecraft specifically is a game that's recommended to kids for this exact reason. Though these kind of games are really the exception, there's very few of them out there.

[@sentryion3106]

@@Vazio3 add in mod pack like Ftb and you are gonna suffer if you don’t know how to break things down.

[@leonw.3115]

Now I know why I always end up cheating in that kind of games

[@Latronibus]

Factorio can actually swing violently in the opposite direction once you figure out "arbitrarily extensible layouts" such as the main bus or city blocks. This generally degrades the game into a "checklist simulator" feeling, but it can take many hundreds of hours to sorta "see through the matrix" and realize that instead of organizing things, you're more just deterministically generating a list of all the things that must be done (which many players do semi-automatically using a tool like Helmod) and then just doing them one after another. It really turns into a "have Helmod write a guide and then follow it" game. Breath of the Wild is kind of an oddball because you sorta don't have "macro goals" at all, except in the Divine Beast sequences (and probably Hyrule Castle too, I never got around to finishing the game). Instead you just kinda...do the thing that you're doing right now, and then it's done and you find the next one. You don't know what the next one is or how to find it, but you don't really need to, because if you wander around you'll find something to do.

[@kowth9r]

I'm in pain. This so relatable.

[@crazygorillaxyt]

Feel that pain. It is important my friend. You’re emotions are valid and valuable. Yes it is challenging because it’s supposed to be but YOU WERE BUILT FOR THIS. I love you my friend.

[@bymaxxie4500]

Bro, I can assure you with my body, soul and everything that surrounds me that in a certain way thanks to the bad moments I have progressed and even being very, very selfish and proud I have realized that I was not being myself and things that little by little I want to achieve

[@itsreallyhotinmyroom]

Me too. I'm not young either. Turning 28 in two months and have nothing in life. No skills no friends, never a romantic relationship. Lived my whole life never being enough and wondering why I was born wrong. I've missed everything in life and I'm way too busted to even attempt getting them.

[@megaultra5005]

@@crazygorillaxyt u dont need to feel the pain u just need to let it be and not get to u like it once did

[@crazygorillaxyt]

@@megaultra5005 I essence that’s true. ... in the moment of a trauma yes, you may feel the most intense pain but as you feel through the pain and even years later are still feeling it in a different way different than the experience of it, It’s important to feel through that no matter how intense it is. especially after the trauma has already happened. Not just not feel it. Because it is still an emotional response to that trauma. And if you just tell yourself to grow up than that is a nother way of emotional bypassing / coping. whenever emotions come up they must flow through you however they do, or else it’s gonna be bottled in. The only way to heal is to feel. It starts with feeling than building awareness and action into overcoming. In your message it was kind of hinting towards what I’m about to write. As you feel more of your pain, overtime you know how to deal with it more. And you’re able to work with it and through it more groundedly.

[@dadeamatic3772]

You just helped me realize that my biggest problem is executive dysfunction and that it works in tangent with my ADHD, it’s not just a symptom of it. Finally, now I might be able to find a way to solve it!

[@lindafitriani]

What is the way to solve it?

[@rem-wm5ej]

Any luck?

[@zonarymink8800]

i actually found your videos by accident and honestly i am grateful for everything. i thought there was somethig wrong with me for a while, when in fact im not the only one with this kinda issue and i can fix it. thank you so much

[@Luniph54]

I've been gaming a lot since I was like 7 years old and now I know for sure I've also had Executive Dysfunction, i'm currently 27. For example starting to work on getting my drivers license which I saw as one huge step so I thought it would be too hard for me when literally all I had to do was call up our local driving school and the rest would follow step by step. Same with doing groceries alone for the first time, what would stop me from doing that were small things like how am I going to get the groceries from the store into my car after paying. It sounds so silly but it really used to make me anxious. For anyone struggling with Executive Dysfunction don't worry, it will improve with age like HealthyGamerGG says.

[@savstinks6847]

Damn i used to think like that when i was younger too, now all those things seem so small

[@Nrowi]

I just thought I had anxiety but make sense

[@Jefrejtor]

One thing to add: it doesn't improve with just age - but with practice.

[@ssjjulion4]

Theorycrafters and hardcore math guys in gaming communities: *doubt*

[@jflowization]

This is why i play classic JRPG’s like Dragon quest, you don’t have quest objectives like in modern games, but you actually have to listen to the NPC’s on what to do next.

[@japano62]

i just don't have any motivation or attention to follew these quest through.

[@filiplaubert5001]

Reading quest thoroughly doesn't improve your problem solving. It's the same thing.

[@pootlovato8237]

i recently bought dragon quest builders and honestly it was such a struggle at first for me as someone who suffers with extremely poor executive functioning because you’d have to build things without as much instructions as to where things should go or how it should be built outside of basic structuring. Overtime it started getting easier as i was able to figure out how to plan out where things should go, how it should be built, what i needed in order to craft certain objects and where i needed to go to find them and it’s reflecting on the way i plan in real life now lol.

[@jflowization]

@@filiplaubert5001 Nope but there are times where you need to figure things out yourself, there are puzzles that need attention to detail

[@fadekill]

@@filiplaubert5001 Ever played old Ultima games for example?

[@tonyg_fgc8152]

I'm incredibly grateful Dr. K

[@KnoshoVisuals]

This is my first time hearing about this concept and I turn 24 next month. This video brought so much awareness to years of patterns I've seen in myself and my friends & family. These are people who are called "lazy" and "unmotivated" and "fuck ups" and me knowing the concept of executive dysfunction is going to benefit me and help a lot so thank you for your content. You're doing amazing work and possibly changing some people's lives for the better!

[@dlb1621]

I think it just depends, playing strategy games, and even raid leading in wow you have to manage well, and give things specific jobs, I feel like playing wow helped a lot with decision making, and being able set up plans and execute them.

[@blindeyedblightmain3565]

Yeah, it's kind of weird hearing about it. I generally have a really good grasp on problem solving and regardless of the fact that I've gamed HARD throughout my life. And I'm talking about playing 60 hours plus a week. The only bad things I have in my life are more or less have nothing to do with gaming, and are a reason why I was playing games so much.

[@th3SyLvEsTeR]

I was thinking this same thing I play fighting games close to competitively as I can get and it's some hard stuff man. There's so much to it all and it's very discouraging

[@omaryapping]

Was never able to put this into words but this is exactly how I've always felt towards anything mentally taxing.

[@andrewstambaugh8030]

As a gamer, engineer, and artist; I found this very interesting. In terms of general type of analyst/engineer (yes there are very different types of engineering minds), I tend to be the see the big picture and all the little nuances. That means I tend to catch potential problems that even most engineers would miss, but I struggle to simplify and eliminate complications, leaving me more prone to decision paralysis. It's interesting to me, that I spend a huge portion of my childhood and young adulthood playing tabletop games. I think that helped develop executive function in me. Now that I've had 10years of being too busy for that, I am finding that is more difficult. I have to more consciously and actively step up to tackle things in my life that used to be automatic, and I notice when I find myself avoiding things I "don't want to think about, because it's too much work" -things that would have been an easy and exciting challenge 10-15years ago.

[@muhsetio]

Been gamer for 25 years nonstop. Thank you very much for giving me step to fix the issues. Even something we like not always good if done excessively. 🙏

[@heavyhydrogen5014]

Doctors like you sharing this information for free on the Internet are a godsend. Thank you so much for these videos. The enhanced comprehension of these realities I gain from your videos is literally priceless.

[@biobox13]

An important part of executive function is also the inhibition of irrelevant/unwanted factors so that focus can be retained. It does not only consist of the "chunking" of the task. My guess would be that the inhibition-part is more influenced by gaming because games often thrive on the exact opposite; instant gratification.

[@jogold867]

If you "chunk" a nebulous goal into smaller tasks, you can get gratification every time you complete a small step

[@spongebobislyfe5906]

@@jogold867 Sadly not for people like me. I don't feel rewarded from completing a task. It's like a hollow victory

[@lees2404]

Yeah, I think there's way more to executive function than this video gets into. Chunking tasks is just one part. There's also impulse control, focus, goal-setting, time management, memory, patience, adhering to deadlines, etc etc. It's like: I know the steps to wash the dishes and clean my house but i still have trouble doing this tasks. I know how to chunk them but I still experience action paralysis, procrastination, distraction and other issues

[@savstinks6847]

@@spongebobislyfe5906 tbh if i like doing something in a game its bcs of the process of it, most of the time i dont rlly care abt the reward system, even if i do the fun wears off fast

[@NiftyPants]

@@lees2404 Was thinking that while watching. I dont think my paralysis when wanting to shower, or take out the trash, or even play a game I enjoy is due to an inability to operationalize a task. When a task is that straight forward and I still struggle to get it done, it must come down to impulse or something like that.

[@rachelmarchant2081]

I believe my son has this struggle as well. I can see how gaming contributes. I also wonder if it is a generational thing. My mom was like you're 18 time to "move out". I had no idea how to "move out" and there weren't video games when I was growing up. I think this executive dysfunction can be a combination of things. I also learned as a parent to use executive function to compliment my children's accomplishments. For example I don't say "my what a clean room you have". Instead I say, I see your laundry has been put away, your toys are cleaned up, your bed is made, you have taken the garbage out, good job, your room is now clean!. As parents of gamers, I think we need to not only blame the games. I did for many years. We have to learn how to parent this new generation. I enjoy technology as well. It is not evil in moderation.

[@whuspr]

One of the reasons why I never learned how to be a Master Lego Builder... I always followed the instructions that come with Lego sets... Sadge

[@InjusticeJosh]

Same and I remember my mom congratulating me when I built them like they came out of my own mind or something…

[@KumaBones]

Your vids are really good at starting with a previous Convo that covered a different subject, then the discussion goes into the main subject of the vid, and then the subject changes again towards the end to be about something else. This ends up sparking curiosity about your other vids, and causes a rabbit hole effect.

[@skycaptain95]

This video smacked me harder than a punch from McGregor. I have struggled with executive dysfunction, or something like that, most of my life along with the depression. But I never had a term to describe it until now. I think I need a therapist. Thanks for making this video.

[@uchihajunior5648]

Basicaly: games that hold your hand makes you lack planing capabilities, so instead, play dark souls, fighting games, and litteraly anything without many tutorials. Or that require you to think way beyond the tutorials.

[@DonVigaDeFierro]

Factorio.

[@arceuslegend4605]

Eh, I'd say From has history of making very bad tutorials that are thinner than paper. They actually improved it a lot more than just messages you'll see once in your playthrough in Sekiro where you have Hanbei the Undying to use a sparring partner or punching bag if you need to train without having the game hold your hand.

[@uchihajunior5648]

@@arceuslegend4605 which isn't the game holding your hands, is it incouraging you to test things and figure out new things for yourself, which means, make you thing way beyond what the game straght up tell you.

[@Lestibournes]

The Witness: no explicit tutorials, free exploration, hard puzzles, hidden puzzles. I felt fairly smart when I solved the greenhouse.

[@uchihajunior5648]

@@Lestibournes i haven't played that game, but i play a lot of fighting games, and let me tell you, many fighting games have horrible tutorials, and even the ones with good tutorials still require you to think way beyond what the tutorial tells you, it's a good exemple of a geme that won't harm your problem solving capabilities.

[@AzazelTheMisanthrope]

I literally hate games that give me the steps instead of just letting me do what I want and plan things for myself.

[@tamtam9034]

Facts, when it comes to video games, it needs to have creativity easter eggs that can make you choose different options. It makes you more...how do we say that in english ressourseful? Creative?

[@GaianEntertainment]

Agreed. Needing to tell the player how to do everything just tells me the game designer/developers couldn't come up with more than one way to accomplish that task. They don't want you to attempt something they didn't consider and frustrate players so instead they railroad you. Better to give a tutorial on all the basic mechanics and some idea of what's possible for future leveling decisions, then let the player trial-and-error their way through the game.

[@prahahaharsh]

I have been living with this all my life. I felt miserable today and was thinking about how things are the way they are, and then this video pops up. It sucks, wanting to do something but then not being able to do it, no matter how hard you try. You know what makes it worse!? Social fucking media. Because you see EVERYONE, and i mean EVERYONE, do the things that you want to do, but you stop yourself from doing it while they show those emotions that you wish you were experiencing. It's like being in a prison with open doors, you see the freedom and amazing things that's happening outside but you stay in that prison deliberately. I want this shit to get over with. I want to escape prison...not even escape...i want to simply "step out" because it's that simple yet I can't.

[@shirori2004]

Hmm. Now that I think about it...it really does seem to be that simple. Truly pathetic. How I can't do anything even though it should be so easy.

[@gordonfreeman8796]

I've only recently discovered your content recently and I learn new things about myself every time, ways to understand not only my own actions but also people around me. Thank you for the videos.

[@DominikGiroux7]

That was the most accurate diagnostic of my current work problems, thank you Dr. K

[@Tentacl]

This one really hits home. I feel over several years I actually got worst and worst at forcing myself to just do stuff. The weird part is, I can and do plan stuff in detail, I just feel paraziled instead of starting what I have to do. And I play a lot of videogames too. Kinda worrying.

[@Eldiran1]

Maybe try to play some grand strategy game like europa universalis IV , Victoria III or even game like The new serie hitman . These game doesn't take you by hand (you have to avoid easy mode in hitman and try to play in hard ) and you have to choose what you want to do , based on what you know and what you can do . We ,as gamers , need to go out of your confort zone more often . Games who are experimental , who doesn't take you by hand , who force you to think , to redefine how to play , are the one i want to play (and i'm lucky they are a lot of them ). Of course , to be honnest , i also play some more casual game like "hunt:showdown" (who isn't really casual to be fair ) ; after hundred of hours of gaming , i know the weapons , the sound of them , the map , nearly perfecly , and even if i have to reajust my knowledge of the game constantly du to the multiplayer nature of this game ,even with new update , i'm not in a complete unknown area know .

[@metausername7195]

The toughest thing for me is actually carrying out any task regardless of how small it is. For example I can break down doing homework in 'sit on chair, open book, pick pen, start writing', but I just cant get myself to sit on the damn chair

[@seileen1234]

You are not alone, It's super depressing

[@sam_widge9183]

This is why im happy i grew up with a ps2 and ps3,i suffer from ADHD and executive dysfunction, and ive always had a problem following through and executing problems,and most games back then like spyro and to an extent crash bandicoot,and god of war with its unforgiving combat and simple yet relatively easy puzzles which took me about and hour to solve each one .

[@sebastianhansen2419]

Thank you so much for this episode. Im about to start my 9th semester of university. Last year my body completely shut down with stress, since then my entire life has changed. What before was easy tasks for me are now super hard to wrap my head around, which is not the best feeling when you're at university. But i have had a feeling it might have been an after-effect of my stress levels and the ongoing constant pressure and stress my body feels because of my lacking abillities to seperate tasks. What seems to come easy for anyone else now takes me so much longer time, if i will even get through all the tasks. The way i feel about task solving seems an awfully lot like what you were talking about in the video... Thank you! So so much :-) I really love to follow your channel. You are helping alot of us out here :) Kind regards from Denmark :)

[@samvakarian]

5:00 While I don't think I suffer from executive dysfunction, I've never heard a better and more clear explanation of how my brain works than in this bit right here. For a long time I've described it as that I have an issue with "big picture" thinking, it's almost like it doesn't register in my brain, but when I break it down to the "micro" level it makes sense. Example: I am working for a young NFPO and currently we're working with a strategist. He does this exercise where he asks what your 20 year goals are. My boss is great at this because he's a bit of a grandiose person. I tend to get nervous because I simply cannot offer an opinion - my mind goes completely blank when asked these types of questions. However, the next part of the exercise is "what steps would you have to take to accomplish those?" That's when I'm the most vocal - because I can break things down to the micro level to examine then as steps rather than "end goals." Sorry for the wall of text...leave it to Dr. K to get me thinking.

[@nelsonpham1929]

I think team/co op games like Rainbow Six Siege or Valorant or Cs Go probably help out with that as you have a goal that you need to achieve by planning out what you and your team will do.

[@Shadow77999]

Even more with Age of empires / other strategy games. For me games that are intellectually challenging arent fun for me so i think im immune to this

[@JesuisParte]

As much as I respect the guy here - don't write in a comment that this title is kind of clickbaity. It is clickbait. Just change it to ''open ended problem solving'' because gaming clearly helps the brain, as stated, to help close ended problem solving. And not only that. Life is not like ''the game fell from heaven and you are playing that game out of nowhere''. First of all you need an inner urge of getting satisfied and something that inspires you to go into that field of gaming. Then you have to take action and choose a game out of hundreds that can satisfy your inner urge of getting serotonin. So the act of searching for a game and choosing it to satisfy your desire is a subconscious open-ended problem-solving because you are free in what way - here which game - you satisfy yourself. And as I experience, yes there are exceptions, but most people don't play one game for their entire life. So that open ended problem solving comes back over and over again. Facts.

[@David08225]

The analogy I think of is, saying "I'm unmotivated" is like saying "my car is broken" In that a car contains a lot of pieces, and knowing it's broken is a lot less useful than knowing what _part_ of it is broken

[@terorvlad]

God damn, this strikes home way closer than I am comftable with. It's like he is reading my brain. This is a amazing explanation to how I feel and I fell horrible for not realizing I have a problem and this isn't just the way I am.

[@paulphillips5847]

Hi Dr K. I'm currently off sick from my job (which involves a lot of problem solving & working out how to solve things for very vulnerable members of the public) with stress (and its no joke, its a HIGH amount of stress). I've not been doing so well at my job recently & I must admit, I've been feeling a lot of despair about it, as my colleagues have been doing just fine. I also play a lot of WoW & FFXIV & I never considered that this could be impacting my ability to operationalise tasks. I thought it would actually help with problem solving. However after watching your video, you've perfectly described the problems I'm having. My brain keeps "freezing" when the answer isn't clear cut. It certainly helped me identify where my issues may lie, so just wanted to thank you for the video & I'm going to look into Executive dysfunction further. Hope you have a good day :)

[@ellisjackson3355]

My problem is for the larger abstract problems, I don't even know all of the components necessary to solve it. There can be steps involved that you'd never think of.

[@ryguytrys]

I think the key is recognizing that there is no ‘minimum size’ for a task to be broken into. Sometimes for me, it helps to even write down the tiny steps, like ‘write a sentence about what I think it is that I need to do.’ Sometimes just in that process I’ll realize something I hadn’t.

[@spencechan]

The advice in this video is very true. I've been working on a solo-dev game, for the past year, and ran into a lot of technical and motivational hurdles trying to turn the ideas in my head into functional game systems. What has helped me a lot (and can hopefully help others) is making a lot lists. Breaking down a task into as many subtasks as possible, that I can cross off the list. I always end up realizing that my lists are only half as complete as they actually need to be (which is normal), but at the very least this approach gives me : - A way to focus on one manageable task at a time - A meanigful sense of progress Honestly, I'm just now realizing that I should have paid more attention to Hypnos' story arc in Hades, lol

[@willegg8436]

So how’s the game doing ??

[@spencechan]

@@willegg8436 it has some fundamental problems, that I may never be able to work out; but the process of working on it has helped me learn and grow a lot

[@nizzydrip]

Dr.k as someone who's played games all their life. (Litterally 10' of thousands of hours) thank you for providing insight and aid to people like me into the side effects that honestly I didn't even realize were happening to me till it was too late. Now I'm trying to clean up my melted brain 😂

[@Shadow77999]

See the bright side. At least u didnt do drugs or alcohol, which is even worse

[@arcyine]

Is it really "cleanable" huh? I've ruined myself to no measure, and disappointed my younger self, and I feel like there's no use of me anymore, so I keep playing instead of getting back on track for once.

[@charlieterry8506]

​@@arcyine Look man, I'm in the same boat. I don't know how old you are, and I don't know your life, but just so you know for the sake of context from my personal position I'm 22 and my big mess up is that I utterly bombed my first year of collage back in 2018 (which was also my first time living on my own) and ever since then I've felt sort of those same feelings you expressed here. I spent so much of my childhood only focused on my grades and nothing else, then in the span of one year I feel/felt like I threw away everything that I had spent the majority of my life sacrificing my social skills and mental health for. Now I certainly don't got all the answers, and I'm also just some random person on the internet, but I thought I should share that one of the tings that keeps me going is the simple fact that I still live and breathe. As long as you still live and breath, you can still do good, you can still carry on and pursue life. There is still time. henyou'reyou are easierpracticing. trying again for the wall of text and massive amounts of projection.

[@HalikBun]

Never even heard of the term "Executive Function" yet it actually sums up my issue very well. Funny, my older brother use to compare real-life problems with video game analogies to help me process tasks (have Autism, more specifically Aspergers) and it kind of feels like this is what he was doing for me. "Operationalize" seems like a succinct way to remind myself to break down tasks and avoid shutting down, which is typically what I'd do when given or thinking up a task or goal that was more open ended.

[@straizobrando8334]

It's so nice to hear that some of the issues i'm having actually exist and have an explanation

[@FieryFighter]

As someone with ADHD chess did sooo much for me mentally

[@Malthaell_]

Can you explain why / how

[@FieryFighter]

Prepare yourself! I really like chess.​ @@Malthaell_ In relation to this video with executive function, chess is all about finding the best moves in a position. What your opponent should do, what you should do, what effect a move will have later on, and keeping track of the entire board. It's not always clear what to do and it's up to just you to figure it out. Problem solving, planning, and reasoning. To quote David Bronstein, "the most powerful weapon in chess is to have the next move." For me personally, I used to be supperrr unfocused and distracted. I got really into chess for a few months and it helped me a ton with learning to focus, as you really need to focus on the game to improve, and not tab out. It was super engaging for me personally too, as I had a bit of a transition with puberty from hyperactive all over the place to a more logical and thoughtful approach. Hit me at the right time. It was one of the first more mentally-healthy hobbies I picked up for my mind. It introduced me to an awesome community and I love chatting to people from all over the world while we engage in a mental battle. There's quite a bit of research out there on the positive effects of chess, especially for ADHD, but this has just been my personal experience and I have not looked into it much.

[@dotanon]

@@FieryFighter I don't have ADD, but I can agree that learning chess has definitely done a lot for my way of thinking. I think it has to do with how one develops as a player. You start out just moving based on the current position, in one dimension almost. Then slowly but surely once you practice you start visualizing your pieces' potential follow up moves, and boom. Knights, the beginners' most neglected piece in my experience, go from those weird pieces you mostly ignore to disgusting fork machines. I think it subconsciously trains your ability to consider situations holistically with due care to even non-immediate consequences of actions.

[@Theohybrid]

9:47 So, in actuality, No Game No Life?

[@jebediahkerman8245]

I suspect playing Kerbal Space Program actually helps executive function. It may give you goals like “Land on the Mun and return safely to Kerbin”, but the task of figuring out how to build a ship that can get to orbit, transfer burn, land, ascend, return and reenter Kerbin is very complex and is left entirely to the player.

[@Sneakyboson]

It obviously depends on the type of game. Plenty of games are good for exercising the brain.

[@SweatySockGaming]

Profile pic checks out

[@jebediahkerman8245]

@@SweatySockGaming Thank you for noticing :)

[@derfutzi8597]

I heard that "Beat Sephiroth" as the first or only objective as an example and immediately thought about how Zelda Breath of the Wild gives you a tutorial and then throws that "Defeat Ganon lol" objective right at you

[@matpoliquin]

I am a video game programmer with ADHD and this is really helpful, thank you!

[@debasishraychawdhuri]

I don't think executive dysfunction is the most significant cause for me not getting a noble prize.

[@MadsterV]

Before even opening the video I knew where it was going: As most people who ascribe things to gaming, you take a small subset of videogames and disregard the rest. You'll find there's whole genres that are nothing but executive function: management, simulation and RTS to name a few. Sure the Call of Dutyers are being led around, but that's a small subset of "gamers". Gaming is a large large topic.

[@XiprofteQC]

It still applies to the vast majority of games, though. If you take an open-world RPG, a management game like Stardew Valley or something super open-ended like Minecraft, once you have a basic understanding of the game, whatever your goal is, things are relatively linear in the sense that it's always a pattern of "unlock this by unlocking this, which is unlocked by gathering this and building this". Even if you have an idea for something creative, the execution is always very straightforward. Executive function in real life has a bazillion other things to take into consideration, like your social and physical environment, you emotional state, your physical condition, your resources, and most importantly the insanely vast array of unpredictability that you will never find in a game, because games have limits in the number of curveballs they can throw at you. It's not systematically linked to videogames, but the human brain has the amazing capacity to shape itself in response to its environment; if it doesn't need to push for a strong executive function because it's used to years of navigating in a virtual world where the rules are constant and outcomes predictable, it won't waste energy developing said executive function anymore than necessary.

[@MadsterV]

@@XiprofteQC sure, in a game it's reduced and simplified but even in the games you mentioned it's not linear. You still gotta pick out a goal and plan out your next moves to fulfill the requirements. The games themselves take great pride on their NON LINEAR and OPEN ENDED nature (it's usually in the box). If you think doing a thing to achive another is linearity, then real life is linear too. Linear means no choice, no branches, a single line from beginning to end. Heck, I went on Minecraft for a year and never got to underwater exploration, as I got sidetracked building and laying down a minecart track to connect our two castles. Not exactly an intended goal of the developer, huh?

[@VRNocturne]

@@XiprofteQC The 2nd paragraph was basically me playing Starcraft 2 trying to manage workers, resources, supply, scouting, attacking, etc. The only limit to the curveballs is how many my opponent is able to throw. Not to mention games like Teamfight Tactics. Unpredictable? Whole game has a layer of RNG on it and you're managing resources, position, team composition, etc, and your emotional state? Tilt is a word in gaming for a reason.

[@bghost3636]

Doubly so, I think it really only applies to those who lack the faculties to play a game skillfully... I will often play FPS games that people assume are 1 dimensional (such as Call of Duty) and do things in them that make people go "how did you think of that?". The mistake that is always made by people who are casual or are on the outside looking in is that while the variables are defined and the world within which you can act is small enough to understand in its entirety, there is still room within this context to challenge yourself and for a lot of gamers, games are the only things that make them challenge themselves. To me, this type of generalization about games is too limiting and it actually has no scientific proof either... just a psychologist giving an opinion.

[@Jet-ij9zc]

@@XiprofteQC someone made a working computer inside minecraft.. And thats just one example, there's a million more, reducing it to "unlock it by unlocking this" is ridiculous.

[@TioDave]

I've had this issue. It's a lack of seeing the path to the goal or the goal itself. I've had and gut feeling I guess I'd call it. That things in society were headed in a bad direction. The rewarding of bad behavior was becoming more of a trend when I was growing up. I imagined how great school would be with an adult helping me learn. After being held back for having conflicting feelings and not expressing it properly. I distanced myself from the path that was part of schooling. I stayed curious the whole time and learned on my own. Later in life I realized I needed a purposeful goal and started working on that. It seems taking my own path gives me advantages in perspective. The hard part is learning to illustrate them to others. It takes making examples of what you are capable of and showing off your work.

[@BygoneT]

That title triggered me intensely, my entire problem solving, resource management, personal assessment, analysis, etc (Basically more than half the things I can do well) skills come entirely from games. *Insert angery npc face* EDIT: By the way the triggering is just a joke

[@BygoneT]

@@PowerK1 No I'm saying that the absurdity of it triggered me because it's contrary to half my life experience, not that it's wrong. It just means it didn't work negatively for me.

[@HealthyGamerGG]

video supports that games help with problem solving, it just weakens a different form of problem solving. Hope that makes sense. Apologies for the title - we have to be general in some parts because of the character limit.

[@OMAR-vk9pi]

@9λ what do those two things have to do with each other?

[@BygoneT]

@@HealthyGamerGG Nah it's ok, the triggering is just a joke

[@OMAR-vk9pi]

@9λ doesn’t mean you still can’t get anything out of it that won’t be relatable to your life I’m Not a porn star and got something out of the advice given

[@NidokingOtsutsuki]

i finished twelve minutes without a guide and it made me so happy, you have no idea.

[@kalebdodge3488]

This described everything I've struggled with. Thanks guy you're the best.

[@Jorary209]

Lol this video had me confused cause I remember many studies saying otherwise with elderly people and strengthening their own mental capabilities. After watching the video I have calmed down and see what you were saying. I have calmed down, as did many of us in the comment section lol, and appreciate this video.

[@dracsharp]

Well explained. I realized that I am pretty good at following a good structure and I likely enjoy it, but I rather not make a plan and simply improvise. If the plan is not obvious or sucks, then my gut reaction could be avoidance. The solution is to calm down if I am agitated and take it step by step. I am not convinced that games make it worse. It's certainly true that games can put you on a train track, but that's exactly what school does without challenging you, if anything I was forced to plan in games, and improvised in school. Anxiety could also play a big part and I am not convinced games are a bad way to learn to be a planner, you just need to realize you already have the skills for real life. I am not sold on causation but correlation can be possible.

[@TheDalekCaan_]

Very well said, man.

[@dmitriikulikov4717]

I am also very dysfunctional for the past 6 months or so, but I have no problems problem-solving or breaking down huge tasks. I always have very complicated plans and steps for everything. The problem is, I have no motivation and no energy to act upon them. Like, I was preparing for USMLE exams, but I was so paralyzed that I had to rest for 3-4 hours every hour of studying. Also, I have problems initiating actions, like I don't even text people because I can't just initiate opening a message tab. I feel like my brain just keeps and develops a certain level of intelligence, but all the other functions of my frontal lobe just degenerate rapidly.

[@dmitriikulikov4717]

@Renegade I just started taking antidepressants, because I didn't have cognitive or physical energy to function. When I was studying for the Step 1 exam, I was actually spending about 8-11 hrs a day on it, but I think this was one of the reasons why I developed depression in the first place. Sometimes, psychological deficiency and lack of support could just transform into biochemical disorder if given enough time it seems. When I was studying, I had the same understanding as you - just go with the flow, just do this and that, don't be excited yada-yada. But this is simply unhealthy and is a recipe for disaster for your mental health. In regards to the US interviews: this is partially a misconception. Connections in the US will positively affect your chances, but a lack of them won't negatively affect your match. Especially if you're a foreigner, nobody expects you to have acquaintances there.

[@90thedro]

I have never watched a more validating video in my life… I have been ashamed of my ability to do stuff that I can intellectually understand my whole life to the point where thinking about looking for a job almost makes me want to cry. I’m scared tho, as I’m 31 and I feel like I’ve missed a train somehow.

[@bndllama9067]

I was hooked, and then you mentioned ADHD...speak of the devil... I trailed off and had to rewatch the second half of the video. I can't even stay focused long enough to help myself, damn.

[@sudarsanvr]

Looter shooters are actually rotting our brain 😂, carrot on a stick in a video game format

[@ruijy4356]

Kill guy, loot, kill another guy, loot, win. All u need is a monkey brain with good aim

[@captasticts8419]

@@DrakesdenChannel eh, it's still REALLY basic stuff in the grand scheme of problem solving tho EDIT: ha, ha, really funny. since it's obviously edited i should explain what comment i replied to originally: it was about borderlands being a looter shooter that requires a lot of problem solving because weapons have different stats and you can attack enemies differently.

[@sovereignreclaimer]

@@captasticts8419 Agreed, those are baby's first conundrums

[@QueueTeePies]

Explains how Orcs Must Die is very engaging to me , but I no longer have any interest in RPG or puzzle games anymore. I used to love planning for a character and practice for boss run as a kid.

[@theantianimeassociation7574]

well some dont and are actually recommended by doctors to help with mental problems. For example destiny because it has problem solving with missions, exploration, raids, dungeons ect.

[@inorijade2427]

WAIT HE STARTED PLAYING GENSHIN LETS GOOO

[@PersistentDissenter]

All my research indicates that you are not only wrong, but it is possible the opposite is true: that gaming improves executive functions. In fact, your definition of executive function seems to differ from most psychologists... Always ask double check, guys. Never believe anyone at face value.

[@ehqwk]

The channel has clarified in a comment that gaming helps closed-ended problem solving but reduces open-ended problem solving.

[@PersistentDissenter]

@@ehqwk I see the comment. I quite disagree. Still no sources and a link to buy his stuff...

[@rymo5681]

@@PersistentDissenter the man is a doctor, has a family, and still puts in the time to do youtube, twitch, discord. its comical how you think he's ignoring your comment. not everyone has time to sit in youtube comments all day. congrats on your research btw, maybe you should teach at Harvard like Dr K.

[@PersistentDissenter]

@@rymo5681 Are doctors always right? Did I ask for a direct response? Does he never personally respond to comments? Did he teach at Harvard or just have his residency there? Do you often attack people who disagree with your views?

[@rymo5681]

@@PersistentDissenter no, i was just putting it into context. sorry if i was rude. you acted like you were entitled to sources. so on every one of his videos that he gives his opinion on, does he need to go find sources on what he said? a lot of what he said is from his schooling and personal experiences. how is he going to source that?

[@moisesjimenez4391]

I think it’s partly for this reason that I prefer multiplayer survival games or simulated battlefield games, because they are open-ended to varying degrees and you feel like you’re exercising your own agency to be survive or be victorious as opposed to simply capturing objectives or checking off a list of duties the game pre-assigns to you. It feels dull and it really makes me wonder what people find entertain about those other game say all.

[@SynAstra]

Some complained about me being demanding/exigent about playing more games that provide harder challenges. Highly technical games, actual puzzles (instead of the fake difficulty a lot of popular games provide on braindead automatic puzzles), strategy-focused games, tight controls or ones that require planning and risky decision making. This whole topic is a testament to how exposing ourselves to higher performance can shape our minds into a better mindset. I'm not contenting myself with low level shit, people can call me elitist, I don't really care. Choosing easier paths lead to lower satisfaction and the honing of skills/keeping your mind sharp is paramount in life, along with consistently trying to be good to others, in my opinion. Being exigent about what/who we choose to invest time in/with is a way to value ourselves and to value our limited lifetime. On that note, anything/anyone we spend time at/with can mold us into who we are, how we act and think. Our experiences of what we like, where we go and who we respect partly defines us in due time. So surrounding ourselves with effortless people, bad environments and low quality media, even for recreation can influence us to become the same. I've seen it again and again on my 3rd world country (which I plan to leave if possible - hard to be fruitious on barren land after all).

[@arravYT]

Gaming actually makes you smarter its just this one thing, so overall its good.

[@sentryion3106]

It’s weird for me since sometimes I hope I had some clear goal at the end while other time I hate the restriction that I’m stuck with lol

[@chafiqbantla1816]

Haha thats life, you can only choose your suffering, thats the uniqueness of humanity😂

[@mythcraft3445]

i think years of casual gaming can rob your of executive function but when youre a hardcore gamer, like you spend half of your time theorycrafting with spreadsheets, or min maxing not just for yourself but for other people too there is a lot of steps, a lot of brain activity going on there. and i think a good way to "responsibly" game casually, is to not meta game. dont google the answers. dont take the easy way out. dont look for the youtube guide that does it for you. learn it yourself. figure it out yourself. and you would be surprised what you come up with. sometimes you even find things that the "meta" has missed entirely.

[@robinw2096]

im crying on the floor because this video changed my life, thank you dr k

[@power_SERG]

I'm having anxiety just listening, I've never heard someone ever put into words what I've felt for years. I think this might be the beginning of saving my mind.