Despite the old stereotypes about video games rotting your brain, a new study proves that gaming every day is linked to improvements in academic performance.
Research in Australia involving more than 12,000 high school students found that, when it came to Internet usage, students who regularly played online video games scored higher in maths, reading and science tests than their peers who didn’t. “Students who play online games almost every day score 15 points above the average in maths and 17 points above the average in science,” says economist Alberto Posso from RMIT University in Melbourne. “When you play online games you’re solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves using some of the general knowledge and skills in maths, reading, and science that you’ve been taught during the day.”
The study used Australian data from the Program for International Student Assess-ment (PISA), which tested students from more than 700 schools in 2012 and collected information on their personal interests and online activities.
Posso suggests that students who regularly spend time playing online games are developing analytical and problem-solving skills that can also help them in their schoolwork.
“Sometimes (players) have to understand some of the principles of chemistry even, so they really have to understand science,” Posso told Bridget Brennan at the ABC.
“Some psychologists have argued that massive online player games can be beneficial to cognitive development.”
But while gamers appear to be reaping academic gains in their downtime, not all Internet use seems to be so beneficial. Posso found that teenagers who check Facebook and other social media sites every day risk falling behind academically, with the data putting them 20 points behind in maths compared to students who never use social media. “You’re not really going to solve problems using Facebook,” Posso told the ABC.
Source: www.sciencealert.com
