Reasons Why Children Can Benefit From Playing Video Games
Video games have been a big part of our lives for a long time. Whether you’re playing Angry Birds or just passing time with Tetris, you’re a part of the world of gaming. But not all is good with the video gaming world because there are still a lot of negative press about it. Some say it induces violence in children while others say that it may cause short-term memory loss.
Some of those claims might be accurate and some are still very much debatable but the truth of the matter is, video games have been proven to have many advantages or benefits for children. Parent-approved video games that are played in moderation can help young kids develop essential cognitive and social skills.
Here are some of the benefits children can get from playing video games:
Video Games Can Help Children’s Brain Development
Video games teach problem-solving skills because many involve planning and problem-solving. There are those which require you to look, negotiate, plan, and try various approaches to advance while others encourage you to become creative and be more attentive to game rules and structure. Furthermore, it helps a child become more observant. My daughter especially likes playing Hidden Princess Hidden Objects Game at solitaire.org, where you have to search for all the hidden objects, one group at a time.
Improve Memory and Coordination
When a child is playing a video game, he’s not just staring indifferently at the monitor. In order to play, he’ll need to be able to coordinate his visual, audial, and physical movements, improving his overall coordination. There are many games where he’ll need to recall rules and keyboard combinations for special moves which helps improve short and long-term memories.
It Helps Children Make Friends
Most young kids see video games as a social activity. They create a common ground for them to make friends and hang out. Young boys said games were a continuing topic for conversation among their peers.
Strengthens Multitasking Skills
There’re video games such as adventure and action games that motivate children to be attentive and good at multitasking. An instance would be moving their joystick around while looking at different elements on the screen and making split-moment decisions that are essential to winning.
Provide a Chance to Teach
A lot of kids play video games in part because they liked to teach others how to play. There are those who build a reputation as the go-to kid who knows how to beat the hardest parts of a game. Teaching others builds patience, and social and communication skills.
Give Children A Chance to be a Leader
Children frequently take turns leading and following depending on who has specific skills needed in a particular game whenever they play video games in groups. Some teenagers who play online group games feel that they had gained leadership skills such as convincing and motivating others, and intervening with disagreements.
Playing Video Games Bring Parents and Children Together
A family playing together brings about easy conversation and may eventually encourage your child to share her problems and victories with you. My family and I often play Crazy Eights Card Game where the goal is to be the first player to get rid of all your cards by laying them on the center stack. We again get this game from solitaire.org. Playing video games serves as one of our bonding moments and truly brings us closer to each other.
You might want to reconsider if you’re limiting online play time of your kids. Most of the claims about the harmful effects of video games are just that, claims. You don’t have to let them play as much as they want though. There are positive effects of video games on a child’s development. The kinds of mental skills that video games nurture may be increasingly important nowadays.
