I’ve been catching up on some professional reading, and I
came across an article in the January 2014 issue of American Psychologist with
the above title (minus the question mark). I was pleased to see scholarly
treatment of video games that does not focus exclusively on their problems. The
authors acknowledge that such problems are real and are supported by research. However,
they contend that the media’s treatment of these games has been one-sided and
simplistic. Isn’t it possible that some of these games have some redeeming
qualities?
According to the research (which is limited but growing),
they do. Video games may help our children learn how to selectively attend to
relevant information, how to process visual information more accurately, and
how to solve problems more creatively and effectively. They can create the
awareness that “persistence in the face of failure reaps valued rewards.” The
social nature of many video games offers our children the opportunity to develop
social skills. All of these benefits may be generalizable to their lives
outside the video game environment.
It is worth noting that some types of violent video games
can have cognitive and social benefits. One point of this article is that the
world of video games is enormously complex and varied; simple conclusions about
the impact of these games – the stuff we see in headlines – are probably
unwarranted.
I believe that we can go too far with video game playing; I
routinely talk to my clients and their parents about sensible limits. I also
believe that video game play can have a negative impact on some people. It is
refreshing, however, to glimpse the more positive aspects of playing these
games.
I’d hate to have to log off completely.
