The general public thinks video games rot a child’s brain. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal took a look at some studies about this and made a few eye-opening conclusions. First of all, you have to distinguish between short video apps and videogames. Those short, fast-paced videos have effects that most associate with all gaming, such as short attention spans and information processing problems. With the exception of excessive video game playing, those effects don’t apply to video gamers. In short, some studies have found the following benefits to gaming:
-Higher volume of gray matter in the brain
-Increased ability to switch between visual tasks
-Increased ability to remember hidden objects and navigate multi-functioning parts
-Improved performance on working memory tests
The issue came down to how much is too much, and there isn’t a study that can define this. What seems to matter is whether the gaming interferes with sleep, nutrition, grades, social life, or physical activity. Here is the article:
Videogames Don’t Ruin Kids’ Brains. They Might Even Help. – WSJ
