Cognitive Benefits of Gaming Contrary to conventional beliefs that playing video games is intellectually lazy and sedating, it turns out that playing these games promotes a wide range of cognitive skills. I think you would both benefit from having someone to talk to who isn't part of the family and won't judge you. This doesn't prove that gaming is a cause of better performance, because it is possible that people who choose to play video games are those who already have superior perceptual and cognitive abilities. This helps players meet new friends while also strengthening bonds with their old friends.Though computer games might be beneficial, there is need to play them in moderation. As such, there is constant communication between the players which in turn results in the development of meaningful as well as casual relationships among them. By putting them here, you share with other readers, not just with me. When would he ever socialize with other kids his age? Does Video Game-Playing Sharpen Mental Skills and Speed? Sharpens the Memory. Still pining away for the positive effects of video games, sigh. The activities and actions on the screen provide a lot of mental stimulation. KJ, thank you for sharing this concern. RPGs? My personal favorite is Candy Crush. society often depicts video games to have a negative influence on young people. I'm going to agree with all of you. I believe these cases are outliers, but it is still worth mentioning. According to research, individuals who play video games frequently can process these stimulators faster than others. You're right about NEVER jumping to conclusions, Gaming to the exclusion of other activities, How Dyslexic Kids Learn to Read When Removed From School, Hype Versus Fact on Social Media and Teens’ Mental Health. Video games might slow down the aging process. In addition to improving your cognitive performance, playing video games also leads to various other benefits. I can now speak in front of people and not have my heart pounding in my chest. Children With Slow Processing Who Need Extra Time on Tests. In what follows, I’ll simply list some of the findings that have come from this sort of research, all of which are summarized in the article by Eichenbaum and his colleagues. Many experiments have shown positive effects of video-game training on measures of executive functioning. My 13 year old son loves his xbox and his itouch. PS: Extrovertish is something only I say but it helped get the point across. Many of these tasks to make money are long, tedious, boring, etc. Colzato,LorenzoS.,WeryP.M.vandenWildenberg,andBernhardHommel.2014.“Cognitive Control and the COMT Val (158) Met Polymorphism: Genetic Modulation of Videogame Training and Transfer to Task-Switching Efficiency.” Psychological Research 78:670–78. -Peter. “Cognitive Effects of Video Games on Old People.” International Journal on Disability and Human Development 10:55–58. Improves coordination When an adult or child is playing a video game, … What good is all that cognition if the world no longer holds any interest for the millions of extreme gamers out there and in the making? I know that talking to a therapist helped me immensely. Not everyone is going to need to understand woodworking when they grow up for example, so your child might view this activity as highly unreasonable or proactive to his aims and usually results in halfassed work output. On the other hand, it could simply indicate that some people take to video game playing because they have better attentional qualities to begin with. #9 Video games decrease mental decline associated with aging. I think the studies show that gamers get better at gaming. But from a community that has actually let the kids do nothing but game, we can say that they consistently self select their paths and goals which may include gaming, but also so much more!! As I said, most were experiments, in which some non-gamers, for the sake of the experiment, played a certain video game for a certain number of hours per week and showed improvement on cognitive tests compared to control subjects. your post on video-game-addiction-does-it-occur-if-so-why - I appreciate your point. He loves you, but he needs to get away from your anger, from your criticism, from your displaced frustration. This ensures that the player can observe and react accordingly to all requirements of that particular game. The reference I cite for each finding is to the original research report. Improves social skillsOnline gaming enables many players to engage in a particular game simultaneously. • Improved visual contrast sensitivity. in my eyes theirs not much difference except that one trains your mind while the other trains your body. An article like this does highlight though the benefits of gaming which are downplayed like crazy by parents, perhaps because of the addictive component and the fear they will take away from schoolwork (even if it is mind-numbing ;). Our children are antecdotes and not statistics. “Speed-Accuracy Tradeoffs in Cognitive Tasks in Action Game Players.” Journal of Vision 10: 748. For a long time now, video games have been dismissed by many people. For people who are less motivated or depressed, playing games can help to switch the attention from sadness and indulge in the games playing process. This happens because most games usually have a captivating story. Some of the fields that have been studied include neurosurgery, aviation, and civil engineering. But I'm sure that your frustration and resentment over the situation that you now find yourself in is mirrored in his behavior. It almost seems like a video game come to life. Thus, the game meets the three basic human needs of autonomy, competence, and sociability, which school does not meet. © 2020 Verizon Media. I really don't see how you are blaming video games for this since it happens even to kids without them and even without the internet. If we could really limit it to one activity among many - fine. 2009. He's 15, he's not smarter than your average kid, but he is in his second semester of college. Benefits of video games for both children and adults include: Healthy brain stimulation; Development of problem-solving skills; Stress relief; Learn more about the benefits of video games before firing up your favorite computer or console game. 1. In a reply I talked about MMOs and how many of them teach kids finances they will most undoubtably need in the real world. Hand-eye coordination. A well recognised benefit of video games is no doubt the cognitive development that games induce in their players. What about games that are more about luck than skill. A meta-analysis is a statistical analysis that combines the results of multiple scientific studies. Improves attention and concentrationVideo games especially action games, have proven to be able to capture the player's attention for the entire period of the game. Unblocked Games 2. They work towards goals in a very focused way. Many modern education institutions incorporate video games as a teaching methodology. Thus, people who play video games show improvement in the brain’s functioning; cognitive processes such as thinking, knowing, remembering, judging, and problem-solving, etc. The bigger concern, though, is that gaming now seems to be a case where individuals play with strangers, not a couple of neighborhood kids gathering in a friend's rec room. 2011. Decades ago parents let 10 year olds go miles away form home with no supervision at all, now it's hard for a kid to get 7 meters away from a supervising adult outside and parents instead of finding/driving/paying for places where their kids can hang out they just sit them in front of the tv or computer. No doubt, cocaine could also be studied for certain cognitive gains and alcohol has its health benefits - but for the developing brain, for the young body, the opportunity costs alone - without further study - outweigh the benefits, I believe. What you describe is not the normal case for gamers, not even for people who are intensely involved in gaming. There's problem solving, management, eye tracking, reaction time, reading, thinking fast ie. Long story short — AVGs who play regularly display better cognitive skills than NAGs. Here: https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/freedom-learn/201202/video-game-addiction-does-it-occur-if-so-why, You might also be interested in my article about the great improvement that can happen when people diagnosed with ADHD are taken out of school for homeschooling, unschooling, or democratic schooling. Again, don't you think the (for-profit) video game industry has enough money behind their ads? Many in depth fictional universes have an internal commerce, if you want that sword you need to save up for it. 2013. They ask, do gamers get better at doing the things that gaming requires people to do. Li, Renjie, Uri Polat, Walter Makous, and Daphne Bavelier. When our sons were young, we limited their time playing video games just as my parents did, our TV time and as a result, they learned to entertain themselves, by reading books, playing outside, looking actively for alternative entertainments. Many video games keep instructing kids in every chapter. Flashing llights can cause seizures in some kids for example. “Action Video Games Make Dyslexic Children Read Better.” Current Biology 23:462–66. Great questions, Holly. Yes I understand that it might be mimicking a "real job" scenario but again - why not use real life instead? Playing video games can help teach people about … Is it wrong for me to make him do chores or 'man-jobs' around the house like - cleaning litter box, taking plastic rings off of (5) 6pks of dr.pepper, getting the clothes out of the dryer and into the laundry basket, shovel snow, empty trash cans, he gets mad when he has to get off the game to clean up a mess HE made -or- to do something he was supposed to have already done? Many in the gaming condition developed 20/20 vision or better in the previously “lazy eye,” and visual attention and stereoscopic vision (ability to coordinate input from the two eyes to see depth) were restored to normal. When every day is a struggle just to get through, when simple household tasks become insurmountable obstacles, when carrying a plate from the kitchen to the dining room table is a logistical problem, it is difficult to face life with joy and vibrancy. My son gave up tennis at the time, but took it up again at the age of twenty and is now coaching part-time and crazy for it in the same way he was for games. i have tried every technique google has to offer and NONE of them have worked From the anger and frustration I hear in your comments, you are not happy and since you are the main force in his life, it stands to reason that your emotional state will strongly affect him. I'm picturing the video game lounge at the community college where I work. One study found that such play led not just to cognitive improvements, but also to better self-concepts and enhanced qualities of life in elderly participants (Torres, 2011). I'm happy to share more info with you if you need it - but i cannot access the article! Had to eye coordination and small muscle motor skills are very developed in the ones playing video games, due to the constant usage of hands and making a fast movement with their fingers in order to get the task finished. This "screen time" you're talking about that overwhelms your children is something that happens because they are growing in an age where "screen time" is a part of every day life. 7. “Learning, Attentional Control, and Action Video Games. 6. Nonetheless, several games will only instruct you at the start. I'm surprised to see all the comments are mostly negative...it really seems parents just don't want to change their thinking about video games, in spite of the glaring positive evidence. On one hand it could indicate that video games bring attentional benefits, and that these benefits extend beyond the normal field of vision experienced while playing. 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