The video game industry is growing. This news is not surprising.

What may sound suprising is that video games can actually benefit you, in more ways than one.

While there are games such as Wii Fit tailored to help you get in shape, many other games can help to relieve stress, focus the mind, help your critical thinking and even improve hand-eye coordination.

When I play a video game, I can immerse myself in another world, as I play strategy and role-playing games.

Games such as Final Fantasy and The Legend of Zelda have intricate puzzles that must be solved in order to advance further into the game.

These puzzles require critical thinking and use of the enviornment to advance.

Games such as Grand Theft Auto, Mercenaries 2, Call of Duty and Halo all help me relieve stress when I need to most.

While all of these games are violent, in moderation, I believe that they can be therapuetic and help the player to relax and explore a virtual world with no adverse effects.

These games are indeed violent, but adults should know at their age that the things we see in video games are not to repeated.

Some games also help the player think and relieve stress at the same time.

Growing up, all I played was different role-playing games, as well as Dungeons and Dragons.

In these games are foes that must be defeated to advance in the game.

Special stronger enemies, called bosses, usually require a certain strategy to defeat.

For me, figuring out the proper way to defeat a boss is one of the most amazing things.

It gives me a sense of accomplishment when the victory fanfare plays.

Losing myself in a virtual world helps relax my mind and it helps me to take out my aggression and my frustration at targets in a game.

This is something that would have severe consequences in real life.

Games such as the Ace Combat series and some of the minigames in Mario Party have helped to improve my hand-eye coordination.

In Ace Combat, players fly one of several different fighter planes.

This may sound simple, but in some cases it takes a lot of practice.

In the final mission of Ace Combat 5, the player must fly through several very narrow tunnels.

One wrong flick of the joystick could result in a mission failure.

These games have helped me to improve hand-eye coordination to a good level.

Video games are a way to help relax and relieve stress as well as to get in shape and improve your mind.

All of this has helped me to become who I am.

Gaming is a choice, but always remember to keep things in moderation.