Contrary to the old belief that gaming is simply an addictive form of entertainment, recent research has shown that gaming offers many benefits. One key benefit is the development of cognitive skills in both children and adults. Just like physical exercise strengthens your muscles, cognitive games engage your brain, improving its performance. Here’s how games affect child development and their skills.
Benefits of Gaming for Children
#1 Improve coordination
When adults or children play video games, they are not just passively staring at the screen. The game action stimulates their mind and requires them to coordinate visual, auditory, and physical activities while playing. A study conducted in 2016 discovered that this improvement in hand-eye coordination can enhance driving abilities like staying in the lane and reacting quickly.
#2 Enhance memory
Playing your favorite video game may require remembering both visual and auditory information. The player needs to read or listen to instructions that are often given at the beginning and remember them throughout the entire game. Additionally, mastering the keys on your keyboard is also crucial to control your characters in the game. These factors can contribute to improving your memory.
#3 Develop problem-solving
Video games are centered around challenges. While some games like Space Invaders are mindless, many others provide kids with the opportunity to tackle problems and find solutions. Researchers suggest that playing these games can enhance planning, organization, and flexible thinking skills in children. However, it’s important not to overstate these benefits as it remains uncertain whether these problem-solving abilities transfer to real-life situations. Additionally, there is no evidence supporting the claim that “train the brain” games can actually improve cognitive function in the real world.
#4 Improve social skills
Online gaming allows multiple players to participate in a game at the same time. This leads to constant communication between players and the formation of meaningful relationships. Socializing in games helps players make new friends and strengthen existing friendships.
On the other hand, the social component is a risk. To protect your child from cyberbullying and harassment, it is wise to use a VPN for gaming. With it, the child will be able to play gaming online without the risk of intruders. VeePN protects against various threats: phishing, hacking, data interception, viruses, DDoS attacks, and more.
#5 Improve self-esteem
Games seem to boost one’s self-esteem, whether through the cooperative mechanics of large-scale multiplayer gaming or through satisfying single-player action. Numerous studies indicate that people report feeling better about themselves and experiencing improved well-being as a result of playing games.
#6 Inspire Interest in History and Culture
Certain video games can inspire children to read and conduct research. For instance, games like Age of Mythology, Civilization, and Age of Empires can ignite a child’s curiosity in world history, geography, ancient cultures, and international relations. This effect is even more potent when parents actively seek out opportunities to connect these games to books, online resources, museums, and other media that explore mythology, cultures, and geography. As researchers, David Shaffer and James Gee suggest, when parents help transform the Age of Mythology into an immersive learning experience, children can develop a wide range of complex language skills.
#7 Improves attention and concentration
Video games, especially action games, have a unique way of capturing players’ attention throughout the entire gameplay. This heightened focus stems from players’ drive to achieve specific objectives and progress to the next level. Researchers propose that this improved attention allocation enables individuals to filter out unnecessary information and adapt to unpredictable situations more effectively.
Conclusion
While it’s true that video games can bring negative consequences if not properly monitored, the benefits of gaming are undeniable. Not only does gaming develop important cognitive and social skills in children but also inspires them to explore history and culture. As long as parents supervise their child’s game time and provide a safe environment, playing video games can be a great way for your child to develop useful skills.
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