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- Parents Editors
- Video Games Can Teach Problem-Solving Skills. Video games can help children's brain development. For example, when my son was a young adolescent, I watched him play Legend of Zelda games.
- Video Games Can Inspire Interest in History and Culture. The content of certain video games can encourage kids to read and research. For example, video games such as Age of Mythology, Civilization, and Age of Empires may spark a child's interest in world history, geography, ancient cultures, and international relations, especially if parents are alert to opportunities.
- Video Games Can Help Kids Make Friends. In contrast to their parents, most young kids see video games as a social activity, not an isolating one. Video games create a common ground for young kids to make friends, hang out, and provide structured time with friends.
- Video Games Can Encourage Exercise. In my research, players (specifically boys) talked about learning new moves from sports video games and practicing them on the basketball court or skateboards.
While video games have received a lot of negative attention over the years, a landmark report in 2020 brought together 28 studies on the topic and found that the long-term effects of violence in games on youth aggression is next to zero. UNICEF/UNI399711/Etges. Many parents worry about how much time their children spend playing video games.
- Reading. Studies show that kids who play video games may get a small boost to their reading skills. This is true even for kids who struggle with reading, and even when playing action games.
- Visual-spatial skills. Many games — like Minecraft — are set in 3D virtual worlds that kids have to navigate. And there’s no GPS or smartphone map app to lead the way.
- Problem-solving. At the heart of every video game is a challenge. Some games can be mindless, like Space Invaders. But many others — from puzzles and mysteries, to managing virtual cities or empires — offer kids the chance to take on a problem and work to find a solution.
- Social connections. Some kids have trouble fitting in and making friends in real life. Video games can be a refuge for them to find people to connect with in positive way.
Oct 24, 2022 · “While we cannot say whether playing video games regularly caused superior neurocognitive performance, it is an encouraging finding, and one that we must continue to investigate in these children as they transition into adolescence and young adulthood,” said Bader Chaarani, Ph.D., assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Vermont and the lead author on the study.
May 31, 2023 · Kids study, play video games, use social media and watch videos on screens, but those do not all have the same developmental impact. Video games, in fact, ...
- Yuki Noguchi
Aug 15, 2024 · For kids over the age of 6, the American Academy of Pediatrics says no more than 60 minutes on school days and 2 hours on non-school days. Kids under 6 should spend closer to 30 minutes. It’s also appropriate for parents to know and approve the games their kids are playing. Avoid any games with graphic violence or sex.
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Jan 1, 2023 · Play has always been an essential part of childhood, but it looks different for modern children, who increasingly engage in virtual play. More than 90% of children older than 2 years play video games, and three-quarters of American households own a video game console. Children 8 to 17 years of age spend an average of 1.5 to 2 hours daily playing video games. Recent developments framed by decades of research have provided insight into how games influence children’s physical health, mental ...
