By: Kate Camillo
“Video games rot your brain!” your mom yells as she comes into the kitchen door from work. You’ve been playing Super Mario Bros. (circa 1983) since you got home from school and are one challenge away from making it to the next level, the highest you’ve ever achieved! And no one is going to stop you, especially not the false statement that your mom yelled from the kitchen while preparing dinner.
Back in the day, video games faced push back
from many claiming they were detrimental to children. However, scientists and
parents have turned over a new leaf and now acknowledge the benefits that these
games can provide to kids of all ages! Video games are a norm to modern
childhood and often riddled with significant advantages. Throughout the next couple
of weeks, let’s dive into these benefits and much more; let’s really explore
why video games can improve aspects of your child’s life such as
problem-solving, creativity, and societal skills. Does your kid have dyslexia?
Don’t worry, video games can help that too! And we’ve got the blog post coming
up!
Current research shows that video games
provide much more than entertainment for children. While flying through space
and time, and decoding maps and finding coins, your child is demonstrating
problem solving skills that can help them throughout life. Not only are they
able to use strategy, but they can also anticipate consequences. They see they
are rewarded for some actions and punished for others. This can help them
understand when the reward/punishment system is paralleled in their daily
lives.
Have a dream of your child becoming a surgeon?
Good news, some video games help that too! A study of small incision surgeons
showed that surgeons who played video games more than three hours a week made
32% fewer errors during practice procedures compared to the surgeons who didn’t
play at all. Who knew we were compromising the future of our doctors by telling
our kids to turn off the video games and get some fresh air? “You know what
Jimmy, you get back inside and you play those video games for as long as your
little heart desires!” (Well, maybe not for that long, but at least until
dinner!)
Video games improve concentration and focus;
they help enhance memory, and reward kids for being risk takers! From an early
age, kids can learn the risk-reward payoff, but also see how educated risks
advance them more than spontaneity and recklessness. They learn how to
challenge themselves and build a healthy competitiveness that, with the ever-growing
competitive job field, they are going to need a little fire under their butts!
Video games motivate kids like no other and this intrinsic motivation is going
to help with school, jobs, and most importantly, life itself.
We have decided to embrace video games in all
their glory as they are powerful tools important to your child’s growth! Bring
on Candy Crush, bring on Minecraft and bring on Fujimini Island!
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