A study of American youth found that kids who play video games have a measurable increase in IQ scores.
As reported by Neuroscience News, the study by Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet “found a positive effect on the change in intelligence from screen time Gaming, with more time watching digital videos or playing video games leading to greater gains in intelligence.” The researchers also measured the effect of other screen-based activities like streaming, watching TV and online socializing.
The study began with an initial pool of close to 10,000 boys and girls from the U.S. between the ages of nine and ten. The children were analyzed, tested and given intelligence scores, and their families were asked how much time each child spent on different screen-based activities. After two years, the children were tested again. Though the researchers admit that the wider public has a “negative association with Gaming” and child development, they concluded that “gaming positively impacted intelligence.” They also noted that these findings are “consistent with cognitive benefits” found in previous studies on video games.
On average, the study found that the children spend 2.5 hours a day watching TV, half an hour on social media and 1-hour playing video games. The most significant finding was that "those who played more games than the average increased their intelligence... by approximately 2.5 IQ points more than the average." The researchers said they had a “strong expectation” going into the study that gaming would benefit the children, calling video games a "unique" type of digital activity. The report claims that gaming's benefits "make intuitive sense and are aligned with theories of active learning and the power of deliberate practice."
As for the other activities studied, the analysis did not find any significant positive or negative effects from watching videos/TV or socializing. Still, many parents might be happy to learn that the research supports the claim "that screen time generally doesn't impair children's cognitive abilities." However, professor of neuroscience Tokel Klingberg points out that they "didn't examine the effects of screen behavior on physical activity, sleep, well-being, or school performance."
The results of this research arrive at a time when U.S. politicians are once again blaming video games for gun violence, and countries like China are severely restricting access to video games for children and young adults. The Chinese government claims that video games cause addiction, damage scholastic performance and erode "a correct set of values." Whether policy-makers in either country will be swayed by scientific research into video games remains to be seen.
Source: Neuroscience News