Academic performance can be negatively related to the total time spent playing video games. Studies have shown that the more time a child spends playing video games, the worse their performance at school. A study from Argosy Gaming Giveaways University’s Minnesota School on Professional Psychology found that video game addicts argue a lot with their teachers, fight a lot with their friends, and get lower grades than others who play video games less often.
Classroom summaries of assignments and other “exercises and practices” reflect the benefits of video skill improvements so that higher levels such as grades, class rankings, promotions, and recognition are derived in the future. Playing video games can also lead to several other benefits, such as decreased stress levels, increased self-esteem, and increased prosocial behavior. In general, this means that you should be wary and pay attention to the possible negative effects if you choose to play violent video games, but at the same time, you probably shouldn’t worry about excessive warnings about the risks that these games pose.
So-called “brain games” with problem-solving, memory, and puzzle components have been shown to have a positive benefit for older players. In one study, only 10 hours of play led to an increase in cognitive functioning in participants aged 50 and older – an improvement that lasted for several years. When your child plays video games, it gives their brain a real workout. In many video games, the skills needed to win include abstract and high-level thinking. There is strong evidence that playing certain video games is linked to teens’ participation in social and political activities. It seems that when teens play video games in the same room as other children, they are more likely to go online to get information about politics, to have raised funds for charities, and to say they are engaged in civic participation and interested in politics.
Also, most social networks have a minimum age requirement that you can use to decide if they should use it. Children who spend too much time playing video games may exhibit impulsive behaviors and have attention problems. That’s according to a new study published in the February 2012 issue of the Journal of Psychology and Popular Media Culture. For the study, attention problems were defined as difficulty engaging or maintaining behavior to achieve a goal. Another study suggests that playing certain video games can even overcome poverty-affected cognitive skills, such as concentration, self-control, and memory, and may help reduce poverty-related achievement gaps seen in school. Dyslexia appears to stem from problems with visual attention in at least some cases.
Video games are a great way to foster social relationships, especially online. Due to their interactivity, online connection via a video game is unique and different from online social connection via an online forum or social media. They provide us with a way to actively interact with others, collaborate with them, or share experiences, which is especially remarkable now that COVID-19 has kept us physically at bay and is less able to have traditional shared experiences, such as game dates and dinners. On the other hand, children who struggle socially in real life may also have problems online. While politicians often state that video games are a cause of gun violence, there is currently little scientific evidence linking playing video games, even “horrible and horrible” games, to violence.
The fact is that there are more than 2.5 billion video gamers in the world and the video game industry is estimated to be worth more than $90 billion by 2020. Instead of vilifying video games, it may be time to focus on the benefits of video games. “Those who didn’t play video games reported more negative emotions” and were more likely to be depressed.