What used to be called cabin fever has morphed into video game virus. Symptoms include staring at a screen with occasional whoops of triumph or outbursts of dismay.
Parents often think of video games as little more than virtual babysitters, something to be tolerated and occasionally encouraged when parents have to meet a deadline or need some downtime. But new research suggests that some games can promote the development of valuable skills, much as sports does.
They’ve also discovered that action games create distinct benefits.
Daphne Bavelier, professor of brain and cognitive sciences at the University of Rochester, runs a lab that has conducted more than 20 studies on video games and concluded that action games are may give kids an advantage in several areas including:
• Attention: Playing video games may teach youngsters focus on the task at hand. Tests showed gamers were able to detect new information quickly and integrate it into their thinking efficiently. Bavelier’s research also suggests that gamers can switch from task to task much faster than non-gamers, making them better multitaskers.
• Vision: Researchers found that a gamer’s vision is more acute. After non-gamers were tested, then trained to play video games, then tested again, not only did their visual acuity improve, but the improvement was durable over as much as two years.
• Spatial cognition: The ability to mentally manipulate 3D figures helps students succeed in math and engineering. Researchers have found that scores improve after students have experience with video games, especially action games in three dimensional environments. Perhaps this is because gamers use the frontal cortex of the brain in the same the way musicians do. MRI studies done at York University in Toronto found that gamers use much less brain power than non-gamers when they do small motor tasks.
• Social skills: Most teens play games with other people, and games that require strategy and problem-solving often promote conversation. Researchers have found that games which require cooperation to achieve a pro-social goal actually encourage people to help each other in real life.
• Emotional release: Dr. Christopher Ferguson of Texas A&M University gave 100 young people a frustrating task and then randomly assigned them to do one of four things: play a non-violent game, play a violent game as the “good guy,” play a violent game as the “bad guy,” or not play video games at all. The young people who played the violent game from either point of view reported being less “hostile and depressed.”
• Self confidence: In the book “Grand Theft Childhood?,” Cheryl K. Olson, a researcher at Massachusetts General Hospital’s Center for Mental Health and Media, found that games can be a source of self-esteem and pride, especially for children who are challenged in other areas.
For children to get these benefits, parents have to pay attention to the games they play. The most important step is researching any game before it comes into the house. Although there are many websites for gamers, reviews tend to overlook issues that matter to parents. Instead, compare comments on family-centered sites like www.commonsensemedia.com, whattheyplay.com or grandtheftchildrehood.com, a site run by Olson.
Basic information about video game ratings is available at ESRB.org, a website which explains the reasoning beyond the ratings for each game.
Once a game is in the house, be aware of what’s happening when your child plays. Keeping the game system in a public part of the house gives you a chance to see the game as it unfolds and observe your child’s responses. Encourage your child to share favorite parts of the game and, if you can, learn a little bit about how to play. Being more involved allows you to establish gaming rules that make sense. Parents often make the mistake of giving a child a two-minute warning before gametime ends. For the child immersed in a complicated role-playing game, that really isn’t enough time. You may also want to be more flexible about time when children are playing games with friends.
One rule should remain firm: video games should never be allowed to crowd out other activities that are important for healthy child development. Kids need adults help in creating balanced lives that include exercise, homework, chores, reading, family time and other activities. If parents are committed to that kind of balance over the long-term, it won’t matter one bit if there’s an extra hour of gaming on a dreary winter day.
Carolyn Jabs, MA, has been writing about families and the Internet for over 15 years. She is the mother of three computer-savvy kids. Other Growing Up Online columns appear on her website www.growing-up-online.com.
@ Copyright, 2011, Carolyn Jabs. All rights reserved.
