The Role of Esports in Developing Problem-Solving and Decision-Making Skills among Hail University Students

As Information Technology and Artificial Intelligence have made deep inroads into all aspects of human life, they have taken over the entertainment industry, too. Playing video games is one of the major sources of entertainment for the young generation today. However, it is claimed that the impact of video games goes beyond mere entertainment, and that playing video games proves helpful in developing certain soft skills, such as language skills, problem-solving, and decision-making skills. The present paper is an outcome of a research study conducted to examine the impact of playing video games on the development of problem-solving and decision-making skills of adult learners. In a qualitative study using survey questionnaire and structured interviews as research tools, 60 university students participated to share their perceptions on the impact of video games on their problem-solving and decision-making skills. Afterwards, in structured interview sessions, a smaller cohort of 10 students expressed their opinions on the ways they transfer the skills gained by playing video games to real-life situations. The findings of the study show that playing video games helps develop certain transferrable soft skills among adult players. The findings are significant from both academic and social perspective as problem-solving and decision-making are the sought after skills in the present-day job market.