If your child is having trouble wrapping their mind around a certain subject or skill, video games may provide an engaging way for them to learn new things.
“A growing number of experts are more accepting of the notion that video games can be powerful ways to educate and improve certain skills in kids and young adults,” Dr. Hafeez tells Romper. But, she reminds parents that there are limits. “Video games, in moderated windows of time, can exercise information retention, problem-solving, improve coordination, and develop decision-making skills, but moderation is key.”
Studies referenced:
Boot, W. R., Blakely, D. P., & Simons, D. J. (2011) Do action video games improve perception and cognition? Frontiers in Psychology, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3171788/
Palaus, M., Marron, E., Viejo-Sobera, R., Redolar-Ripoll, D. (2017) Neural Basis of Video Gaming: A Systematic Review. Frontiers in Human Neuroscience, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2017.00248/full
Green, C. S., Sugarman, M. A., Medford, K., Klobusicky, E., & Daphne Bavelier. (2012) The effect of action video game experience on task-switching. Computers in Human Behavior, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3292256/
Franceschini S, Gori S, Ruffino M, Viola S, Molteni M, and Facoetti A. (2013) Action Video Games Make Dyslexic Children Read Better. Current Biology. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23453956
Experts:
Maureen Healy, PhD, child psychologist, author of The Emotionally Healthy Child, and parenting coach at Growinghappykids.com
Dr. Sanam Hafeez, PsyD., a neuropsychologist in New York City, faculty member at Columbia University
