Are video games good for kids? Many parents ask themselves this question – worldwide. A new scientific study has an amazing result.
A new scientific study found that video games can lead to positive gains in intelligence in children. Although links between children’s play and its impact on intelligence have previously been found, this study found evidence of the impact in stronger ways.
Researchers from universities in Sweden, the Netherlands and Germany set out to determine what effect screen time had on the intelligence of children. It compared emphasis on playing video games versus watching videos or television.
In simple terms, the study is fairly “robust.” The study was also followed up two years later with more than half of the participating children. The results are pretty amazing.
Video games have a positive impact on children’s intelligence
Gaming positively influenced the magnitude of the change in intelligence, such that children who played more video games at age 9 to 10 showed the largest intelligence gains two years later. This was also true for gaming in absolute terms and did not differ between boys and girls. Surprisingly, observing also showed a positive effect on changing intelligence. Much less shockingly, socializing had no effect,” according to the researchers.
As the researchers admitted, the data they used came from the United States. They said: “We know from previous studies that the effects on cognition depend on the genres played, the skills required, etc. Because kids in different countries have different preferences for video game genres.”
TV and online games
According to the study, there is even a positive influence of television or watching digital videos. “We also found a positive influence of television and other digital videos on the change in intelligence. This result is much less anticipated than the outcomes for playing video games,” the researchers said.
So if one of your kids comes up with the argument that video games make you “smarter” then it’s true. Of course, there is more to developing a child’s intelligence than just video games. Of course, choosing the right genre for children also plays a role.
