- Study shows gamers have more fun learning and creating
- Research shows gamers perform better in school
- A final tends to demonstrate increased cognitive abilities in children who play video games
In the 80s, the first journalistic reports on video games were chilling. It depicted bewildered teenagers, even totally dazed and focused on their practice.
Fortunately, the societal view of gaming has changed a lot. At the same time, science became interested in this hobby. If addiction remains a very real risk, we have chosen today to come back to 3 good news related to the practice of video games.
A thirst for learning and creating
In 2020, the National Literacy Trust, a British organization that aims to promote literacy, surveyed 4,626 children about their use of video games. They found that 80% of young people who took up this hobby had read material relating to this subject, in particular articles or books.
Enough to improve their writing skills and encourage them to create their own content. Moreover, 62% of teenagers surveyed specified writing once a month about their favorite games: this can be on social networks, on blogs, or via fanfiction.
Better school results
In research conducted in 2021, scientists from Serbia, Kuwait, and Saudi Arabia investigated students at a Saudi university. They drew a comparison between those who gambled regularly and those who did not.
Another distinction was then made between those who gambled a lot and those who gambled moderately. Against all expectations, it appeared that students addicted to games are also those who obtained the best academic results.
To explain this, researchers have proposed the concept of “work hard, play hard”. After a long review session, a long gaming phase.
Better cognitive abilities?
Recently, American researchers launched a study with 2,000 children aged 9 and 10, up to the age of 19. This is one of the most ambitious research projects that has been initiated, as Professor David Spiegel explained to our colleagues at 13newsnow.
The idea was to find out what role the practice of gaming could play in their cognitive development. If we cannot answer categorically on the subject, the scientists have nevertheless noted “reinforcement of certain areas of the brain from a biological point of view”. These include the one dedicated to working memory.
