Video games may be good for kids

VIDEO games, long trotted out as being the cause of every bad habit in children, may in fact be good for them. At least that is what a survey conducted by leading video game developer PopCap Games has found.

The results of the British and Irish academic study reveals the positive impact that playing video games has on bonding between parents and children who play together.

The study, by Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, reader in psychology at Goldsmiths University, examined how parents in Britain and Ireland used games to interact with their children.

Segmenting the small Irish sample, indications are that 92% of Irish parents play casual games with their children daily. It also found:

* 69% of children surveyed are more relaxed after playing;

* 78% of children report an improvement in their understanding of technology through playing;

* 56% of children felt an improvement concentration span through playing games.

* 48% of children reported improved problem-solving ability through games

The results seem to buck the trend of video games making children lazy and more violent.

The research specifically looked at the role of “casual games” — simple puzzle or strategy games, such as Plants vs Zombies, Angry Birds or Bejeweled — in helping parents and grandparents bond with their children and grandchildren.

It found 3.8 million parents play casual games with their children, and that many grandparents are use games to get closer to their tech-savvy grandchildren.

Debunking the myth that video gameplay comes at the cost of “healthier” pursuits, three-quarters of parents state that their computer game-playing children also exercise regularly and eat healthily.

A third of parents said their children are able to concentrate better thanks to playing casual games, while 53% believed their children have improved problem-solving skills thanks to playing casual games.

The study also shows that the growth in casual games has resulted in children as young as two becoming proficient in the use of smartphones and other tablet devices. More than 25% reported that their children borrowed their smartphone every day to play casual games.

“Previous research has tended to look only at the individual effects of video games but, in the era of social networking, games appear to play a vital role in enhancing social relationships,” said Dr Chamorro-Premuzic.

“The fact that both parents and grandparents are using games to connect with their children and grandchildren, and quite successfully, suggests that video games can improve social skills and make a key contribution to both effective parenting and child development.”