How Video Games Can Be Beneficial To Kids

Many parents struggle with the amount of time their children spend with a video game controller in hand, staring at the television screen. There are plenty of reports of the negative effects of too much screen time. For parents who are afraid they've ruined their children forever, however, there's good news: in many cases, video games can actually benefit your students.

Building Problem-Solving Skills

Many video games quickly hone problem-solving skills, giving students the confidence to apply those skills in the real world. They have to solve codes, work out challenges, and learn how to adapt to a changing environment. These problem-solving skills aren't just video game skills; they're skills that translate quickly to the real world.

Enhancing Learning Skills

Students who spend their days behind a video game console aren't just learning the information presented in the game. They're also developing vital learning skills. In the in-game world, players must learn how to adapt, shifting their thinking patterns from the way things are done in the real world to the way they work in the game setting. As a result, they learn to think on their feet and learn more efficiently, all without realizing that they're doing it.

Encouraging Curiosity

As kids build their video game skills, they'll also develop a deeper curiosity about a variety of subjects: how the game works, how concepts in the game relate to concepts in the real world, and even how to code their own games. By encouraging this curiosity, many families find that they're able to watch their children learn and grow academically as their game skills increase. It's not just about learning more about the game. Many kids become fascinated by the new worlds that they're able to explore and everything that goes along with them.

Games used in school can also facilitate individualized learning : instead of being forced to learn at the pace of the class as a whole, a student who learns within the confines of a game is able to work at their own pace, being presented with more complex problems as they're able to solve the preceding ones.

Enhancing Creativity

One of the biggest arguments against video game use is that kids who spend too much time behind a screen must somehow lose their intrinsic creativity. In fact, the opposite is often the case. Children who play video games often have enhanced creative skills and a deeper ability to apply that creativity than their peers who don't enjoy gaming. In game worlds, kids are exposed to concepts and thought patterns that are different from the way the real world works. As a result, they learn to think outside the box in order to solve the issues that come their way.

Playing a video game isn't bad for a youngster. In many cases, in fact, it can benefit them more than parents realize. If your child is a gamer, take joy in their passion and watch as it unfolds into a vehicle for greater learning.