Video games could improve kids' brains: study

And so could books! - (especially the right kind)

 results showed video games might be a better use of screen time than watching videos on YouTube, which has no discernible cognitive effects.

...results showed video games might be a better use of screen time than watching videos on YouTube, which has no discernible cognitive effects.

Hmm, but documentaries can teach us a lot more about the world, if only we have the attention span, curiosity and intellect to learn from watching them.

The problem with these studies is , they can also cause problems, cherry picking results. Next it’s not only who did the research but who funded it. While games in themselves may have benefits, the other psychological parts are often discounted. Eg,the loot bad system, the constant drip of skins and use of language eg, rare. Extremely rare.The way matches,(depending on the game) are timed, to start another round. This taps into the, this time I’ll do better, part of the playing a game but most of the time the player doesn’t. So this research really should be taken with a huge punch of salt.

Some games need to have a specific goal, if it’s to improve cognitive functioning. Running around, shooting , killing, dying, and the rinse and repeat of say a modern shooter is not exactly cognitive enhancement but more cognitive anesthesia.interesting how this has just appeared as Modern Warfare has just been released though.

But if you spend all day sitting in front of a computer gaming screen, that can't be good for the rest of your body.

That’s simply and only a specific and very limited training effect. No such studies needed and the ‘results’ are just good for the garbage can. It’s nothing different from other groups of people , one trained and experienced and the other one not, for example one group who has learned to try to hit a tennis ball with a racket , while the other still has never had tennis training or held a racket in hands. Or two other groups, let’s say machine operators at a company’s workplace and unemployed or untrained machine operator newbies. There are unlimited cases and everyone of us has skills on some activities and no skills on others.

The problem with these studies is , they can also cause problems, cherry picking results

That is not a problem, is a misunderstanding of what the study is looking for and assuming it was done to prove something it is not looking at.

The whole value of the study is to see if videogames can have a positive effect on the brain of the target public, that is the first step to take before making other considerations. There is no point in trying to discuss benefits and problems of videogames without knowing first if both things are actually real and how important they are.

Your criticism is like reading a study about the effects of cycling on the heart and complaining it does not consider the dangers of traffic accidents or lack of infrastructure for cycling.

I'd put a big emphasis on the could

The word is in the headline, that is already a huge emphasis, and it is not about this being a possibility only, but that it applies according to the videogame. A game could improve a child brain, depending on the game.

The last report was about brain-damaged kids playing video games.

Pres. Ronald Reagan stated the same thing back in 1983. This is nothing new.

Yeah well playing sports could also be beneficial for both their minds and bodies.

I bet if they test them on much more complex tasks like playing video games the group playing video games will do much better than those who dont

How about testing reading and math skills for example, results might be more useful

It is a good thing if you know how to take advantage of the time in other things too..

Why not go further and say "Video games could improve kids' brains and create long term vision loss from hours of looking at a game monitor. This also would include a host of other injuries, neck, wrist etc...

Why not go further and say "Video games could improve kids' brains and create long term vision loss from hours of looking at a game monitor. This also would include a host of other injuries, neck, wrist etc...

Naturally. But a human doing any activity in excess risks adverse effects.

Gaming, in moderation, can be very mentally stimulating and can improve problem solving abilities, reaction times etc.

This also would include a host of other injuries, neck, wrist etc...

As could sports. Again, both activities in moderation can be beneficial.