REAL LIFE NEWS: SEE, I TOLD YOU VIOLENT VIDEO GAMES WERE GOOD FOR YOU!
by Hazed
Ever since video games were invented there has been hand-wringing about how terrible the effect of violent games on our children is. Now a new meta-study has concluded that playing computer games in general is a positive thing for kids, and in some cases the effect is more beneficial if the games are more violent.
The research looked at modern games and concluded that because of the growth of massive online gaming environments, the games are much more socially oriented. They also report that certain types of game can help children to learn problem-solving skills, and boost their creativity.
This research did not involve any new studies on gamers; instead it was a meta-study which examined all the previous studies and put all of their conclusions together to form a balanced picture of the various effects of different kinds of games.
The authors report that while we can’t discount the many studies over the years which show gaming has negative effects such as depression, aggression and addiction, that’s by no means all that’s going on. Other studies suggest beneficial effects from games.
For example, some studies found that playing a small number of rounds of a first-person shoot-em-up game helped the gamers develop faster reaction times, high spatial resolutions and an enhanced ability to visualise shapes from different angles. These specific skills are good indictors for success in STEM skills (science, technology, engineering and math).
They also found that games which encourage the players to work together to achieve a task can be very beneficial when it comes to building up social skills. They can also help reduce aggression.
Simpler games can also be beneficial, the report says. Games like Angry Birds which can be started and played quickly can help to relieve anxiety and reduce stress.
One surprising finding is that games which are specifically marketed to improve various skills – so-called Brain Trainers – don’t show any evidence of improving cognition or problem-solving skills, probably because they are designed by medical practitioners, teachers and researchers and not games developers. Just goes to show that not everyone can be a good game designer.
So you no longer have to feel guilty about playing games – you can honestly say they are good for you.
