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Effects of Video Games: More Good than Bad for Youth Development?
by Marilyn Price-Mitchell, PhD Published: January 25, 2013
http://www.rootsofaction.com/video-games-for-kids-more-good-than-bad-for-development/
Ability to meet and overcome challenges in ways that maintain or promote well-being.
If you’re like most adults, you probably have an opinion about the effects of video games on children and teenagers.
In fact, you might be a bit skeptical about their value.
I’ll be the first to admit my own bias, particularly against violent games.
As I’ve watched my grandchildren play video games on smartphones and iPads, I’ve often wondered how it will affect their long-term development. But has research focused so heavily on the negative outcomes associated with video games that we’ve neglected to see the positive?
A recent article in the Journal of Adolescent Research caught my attention. It showed:
· Video games are the fastest growing type of entertainment in the world.
· 97% of U.S. adolescents play video games.
· Most young people ages 8-18 play video games an average of 13.2 hours per week.
I’m sure these figures are not shocking to the companies who develop and market video games to kids. But quite honestly, I was caught by surprise. Even more unexpected, the article challenged me to question my negative bias about video games.
Can the Effects of Video Games on Children Be Positive?
Most of us are aware that violent video games can trigger young people to transfer feelings of aggression to actions in the real world. Public scrutiny of violent video games increased significantly following the tragic events at Columbine High School in 1999 and Virginia Tech in 2007. It is sure to spur even more debate as the senseless shootings of children in Newtown, Connecticut are thoroughly investigated.
Perhaps as a response to these violent incidents, the negative effects of video games on children, including aggression, hostility, and addiction, has now been examined in more than 300 studies. But the positive effects of non-educational video games, including the development of initiative, intrinsic motivation, and cooperation, has been examined in only 30 studies!
Do we developmental and social psychologists have a bias in what we study? Of course we do!
So what do current studies really show?
Yes, there are incidents where socially isolated, mentally unstable teens have committed acts of violence based on video games. But while the violent video games that are very popular among teen boys have been shown to increase aggression in some studies, other studies have failed to find the same correlation.
One study found that compared to teens that did not play video games, video game players reported more family closeness, higher involvement in activities, greater attachment to school, and positive mental health.
Another study found that video games with content that promoted helping behaviors, sharing, cooperation, and empathy actually contributed to the development of those same traits in young teens.
Video Games as an Initiative-Building Activity
One of my personal interests in youth development research has been in the area of how young people develop initiative. In my article, Fostering Initiative in Children and Teens, I outline the important elements of initiative-building activities during childhood and adolescence.
Could playing video games help promote a child’s development of initiative? Indeed, video games have some promise. For example, when kids play video games, they experience intrinsic motivation. They feel excited and find challenge in the process. When playing with friends, video games even show social benefits.
While the activity is not anchored in the “real world,” video games contain rules and challenges that may transfer to other parts of life. In addition, the concentration and effort required to play video games can be a practice ground for other activities that stimulate kid’s passions.
One of the key elements of initiative is the ability to sustain an activity over a period of time so that kids learn to persevere despite challenges. Clearly, if you’ve been around children and video games, you know it teaches them to try and try again!