Children playing video games have received lots of bad press. But….the latest study shows that a little video gaming is actually good for older children.
Three out of four children say they play video games every day.
Study Found: Playing Video Games Created Higher Life Satisfaction
It was found that children and adolescents who played video games for an hour a day were better adjusted and with higher life satisfaction than those who did not play at all. The study was done on a 5,000 young people aged 10 to 15 years old. Study by Oxford University published online Aug. 4 in the journal Pediatrics.
BUT: It was found that those who played video games for more than three hours had lower satisfaction with their lives and not so well adjusted.
There may be a number of reasons behind this.
“In a research environment that is often polarised between those who believe games have an extremely beneficial role and those who link them to violent acts, this research could provide a new, more nuanced standpoint. Being engaged in video games may give children a common language.” Dr Przybylski, head of the research told the BBC.
“Other studies have shown that playing first-person shooter games, but not other types, can lead to increased visuospatial processing and memory abilities. Further research would help to determine whether particular types of game help or hinder adolescents as they adjust to the changes they experience during development.” said Dr Iroise Dumontheil, of Birkbeck, University of London, who was not involved in the research.
What happens when children play violent video games?
There is been research that shows the importance of wisely choosing the games the children play. The results found in the study was disturbing.
“Basically what we found was that in all three samples, a lot of violent video game play early in a school year leads to higher levels of aggression during the school year, as measured later in the school year — even after you control for how aggressive the kids were at the beginning of the year,” said Anderson, president for the International Society for Research on Aggression.
It was found that playing violent video games for long periods of time can weaken morality of teenagers. Brock Study in Canada 2011
My conclusion about video games and children is:
- Children playing video games that have been chosen well for an hour a day can be beneficial.
- Longer times playing of any video game can be bring down the child’s wellness factor.
- Violent games can bring out aggressive behaviour.
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