National Video Game Day!
This subject can be controversial. While too much of anything can be a bad thing, video games in moderation can have some benefits for your children.
This type of play actually may strengthen a range of cognitive skills such as spatial navigation, reasoning, memory and perception, according to several studies.
“This has critical implications for education and career development, as previous research has established the power of spatial skills for achievement in science, technology, engineering and mathematics” – Isabela Granic, PhD
Playing video games may also help children develop problem-solving skills. The more adolescents reported playing strategic video games, such as role-playing games, the more they improved in problem solving and school grades the following year, according to a long-term study published in 2013.
Children’s creativity was also enhanced by playing any kind of video game, but not when the children used other forms of technology, such as a computer or cell phone, other research revealed. Simple games that are easy to access and can be played quickly, such as “Angry Birds,” can improve players’ moods, promote relaxation and ward off anxiety.
Dr. Granic also highlighted the possibility that video games are effective tools for learning resilience in the face of failure. By learning to cope with ongoing failures in games, the authors suggest that children build emotional resilience they can rely upon in their everyday lives.
Another stereotype the research challenges is the socially isolated gamer. More than 70 percent of gamers play with a friend, and millions of people worldwide participate in massive virtual worlds through video games. Multiplayer games become virtual social communities, where decisions need to be made quickly about whom to trust or reject and how to lead.
American Psychological Association
Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits, review finds
February 2014, Vol 45, No. 2
