Ask any young person, parent or teacher if they have had a discussion on this topic and the chances of them saying yes is very high. That is because in every generation there is a hot button topic that fires one set of minds against another: two generations ago it was the television and how it would ‘rot kids’ brains’ and ‘dumb them down’, then the debate on the use of computers in schools and how kids won’t learn, and now the topic of video games and their detrimental side effects on children and adolescents.
However, the first longitudinal studies in research on the impact of video gaming on kids is now emerging and the results show positive effects. This data is useful to counterbalance the widespread belief that video gaming only fosters anti-social violent behaviours, and, or isolation. There are positive and negative effects to any social phenomena, and relative context is important to incorporate into any discussion of video game impact on youth. Although research does show increase in violence with certain youth with exposure to certain games, it also shows that those youth are already predisposed to violence.
New research shows that kids who play simulation games develop problem solving skills, critical thinking skills, resourcefulness, better motor control in hand-eye coordination and good mental visualization (an example of this is found with driving skills in young people). Online community gaming fosters team building, goal setting, sense of community and belonging, collaboration and cooperation. Both types of gaming have shown to make players happy, by having fun while learning, which in turn reduces anxiety and provide stress relief. Many gamers say it is relaxing and highly beneficial to engage in an activity that provides intrinsic motivation linked to performance success. Creativity is also a noteworthy end product.
‘One of the studies cited in this conclusion came from a 25-year study following child gamers worldwide, and found that these specific skill sets were good indicators for success in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills – more so than academic courses in some respects.’ (http://www.theregister.co.uk/2013/11/27/psychologists_study_shows_violent_video_games_can_make_kids_smarter/)
Video gaming has produced youth who are constantly engaged in the learning process and enjoying the results, which is pleasing to the brain – one reason why young people focus large amounts of time perfecting a skill or goal to reach an outcome. Gaming uses multiple intelligences and fosters talent, which is now recognized as the new definition of ‘smart’: kids who are savvy, knowledgeable, resourceful and actively engaged in learning. The school setting mostly still demands passive learning from students (studying for a test) and struggles to keep students motivated; the creation of multiple reward systems in elementary or high school settings is evidence of this struggle. These reward systems focus on extrinsic motivation which is short- lived, does not engage all students and may have long term negative effects (working only to obtain a reward).
Schools have needed to implement reward systems over the years because of the growing dissonance in what a school environment offers and what kids want : technology offers constant stimulation, intrinsic motivation, ongoing learning and fast paced action; by contrast, the school environment is very slow to change, uses outdated strategies and organization structure, is still focused on outcomes from passive learning that demands a lot of seat work (particularly as you progress up in the grades). The issue of more kids having attention deficit in school is because school is too slow paced for today’s kids. For example, sit down and watch an old movie or television sitcom from the fifties to the eighties and see how simplistic they seem and do not hold kids’ attention. Do you think they will work for a sticker or the one prize in the display case at the end of the month, when they get daily rewards in video games?
Are kids smarter than a generation ago?
Whereas intelligence was measured in the past using only the intelligent quotient (IQ) based on book learning ‘smarts’, research actually shows that today’s kids do actually have higher IQ scores for what would have been considered average in the past, to what is now considered average – the ‘Flynn effect’ (Gabe Ziecherman http://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter.html ) One of the reasons cited was that kids are asked to constantly engage in more complex tasks, or to multitask, deal with more challenging material in multi-layered formats which technology allows to present to them. For example, the social situations seen in reality shows present a whole new complexity of emotions and language and interpretive skills that are needed to navigate the new social context faced by this generation, either live or in virtual communities.
The result of the gaming industry’s influence on today’s culture is being replicated in work environments as some companies adopt new ways to engage employees. In the public domain, notice the words ‘incentive’, ‘rewards’, ‘points’ vocabulary that now permeates marketing and communication strategies to the consumer. This influence has given rise to a new term called ‘gamification’ which is lending characteristics of gaming environments to everyday life and language. How many adults at the kitchen table have sat through a conversation between their kids and not understood a word of the discussion even though it was in English?
As all societal influences have a way of leaving a mark on culture, parents and teachers have no choice but to join that culture in order to stay connected with youth. Parents who engage in gaming with their children gain a better understanding of their thinking and can better help decide what is appropriate for them. Teachers familiar with gaming environments gain new insight into how to reach their students and create more intrinsic motivation strategies. Students respond better when learning is provided in a fun, familiar context with purpose, where they feel understood. Imagine how engaging school would be if it were structured as a gaming environment…
Monika Ferenczy
Education Consultant
Useful Websites :
http://www.ted.com/talks/gabe_zichermann_how_games_make_kids_smarter.html – please include this link for sure – it is excellent!
http://www.education.com/magazine/article/benefits-video-games/
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jordanshapiro/2012/12/11/can-video-games-make-your-kids-smarter/ example of a video game to teach algebra
http://www.babble.com/babble-voices/plugged-in-monica-vila/7-reasons-why-your-kids-should-play-video-games/ 7 reasons why your kids should play video games
http://www.webmd.com/parenting/features/video-games-tv-do-they-make-kids-smarter