A recent study has found that playing video games can help young people better develop their social skills. The findings of the study help to dispel the age-old myth that video games breed antisocial tendencies among young people, and encourage parents to look at gaming with a more open mind.
The Myth
Ever since the first video game system was launched in the 1980s, parents have been concerned that gaming discourages their children from getting out of the house and making friends. Decades ago, that may have been the case, as the first video game consoles were not optimized for multi-player gaming.
Today, gaming allows players to interact with one another over the internet and many players have found themselves becoming more social as a result of these interactions. Games are also more cooperative than they previously were, as players are encouraged to work together to carry out missions.
The Study
The study was carried out by researchers at Edith Cowan University in Australia. They interviewed gamers of all ages to get a better understanding of the ways in which playing video games benefits young people. They found that gaming is not an antisocial activity nor is it a waste of time.
Social Benefits
“Gamers are reaping the social benefits when their friends come over and they play computer games together,” says Associate Professor Mark McMahon. “They’re often strategising, managing complex tasks and forming and managing teams”. Whether you’re playing games with online friends or you’re playing on the same console in person, you’re receiving the same social benefits.
Video games encourage open communication between participants, as they plan strategies for their missions and execute them by cooperating effectively. These social skills are crucial in school and in the workplace, so video games can benefit young players in the long run.
Educational Benefits
“If you think about what people do during screen time, they can be writing, creating images or videos, communicating, looking up information and so on. Playing games is one of those activities and gameplay itself is complex”. The study also found that video games can also offer educational benefits. 91% of respondents stated that video games are mentally stimulating and 83% stated that they are educational.
When playing video games, players are not mindlessly mashing buttons; they are actively engaging their minds in complex puzzles and plots.
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