Are Video Games Good For Kids?

from the debate-rages-on dept

Wed, Aug 11th 2004 1:54pm — Mike Masnick

While it does seem that the anti-videogame folks blow the danger of video games way out of proportion, a new festival seems to be going in the other direction by claiming video games are good for kids. It's such a broad statement that it has to be untrue. Certainly, some video games might be good for kids, in helping them deal with different kinds of challenges, but it hardly seems like random anecdotal evidence (about all that's presented in the article) proves that video gaming is "good." For example, the article includes this sentence: "Dr Judy Robertson, of Edinburgh University, said some children had told her during computer games workshops that playing violent games did not result in violence in real life." Just because some kids say something doesn't necessarily make it true (even if it probably is true). If they really want to show this, wouldn't it make more sense to actually promotes the ways that video games can be helpful to kids, rather than just declaring it so? I'm all for real studies that show the positive impact games have for kids, but hyping up something without substance just makes the arguments seem weak.

Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.

Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.

While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.

–The Techdirt Team

12 Comments

If you liked this post, you may also be interested in...

Reader Comments

Subscribe: RSS

View by: Time | Thread

Anonymous Granger, 28 Mar 2007 @ 3:43am

I don't think video games are good for kids. They say they might be, but when they get older, and they need to revise, but their not revising their playing video games, it makes you wonder whether they actually want to pass exams, or to play on video games all their life!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
- teenager, 24 Jan 2008 @ 5:21pm
  
  Re: consideration
  listen you need to look at this from a non-biased view. you say video games are not good for kids, but your only looking at the negative. yes some kids are violent, but do they ask the kids how they were raised. maybe they had a violent upbringing. there are too many factors that make up how a person acts. you are allowed your opinion but think of this, the number one selling computer game in the past few years has been civilization 4. kids build civilizations. yes they may have to grow a army and attack, but they learn so much from it. all we nee dot do is talk with the kids and be interested in the games themselves. explain why you should not do what they do in the games. but don't let them think what they are doing is bad, instead focus on the positive and try to build from there.
  [ link to this | view in chronology ]
  - cubaricangorilla, 29 Feb 2008 @ 6:18am
    
    Re: Re: consideration
    I agree with you. Many games can actually be good for kids, in limmited quantities. Even some of the more violent games can help sharpen quick thinking and problem solving abilities. When games become bad for kids it's usually the fault of the parents for not keeping better control over their kids.
    [ link to this | view in chronology ]
raper1, 7 Jun 2007 @ 5:19am

i raper young gamers!!!!!!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
sgt, 22 Mar 2008 @ 9:18am

you MUST be kidding?
I see toddlers screech if you pry them from nintendo ds and gameboys! As kids get older, they become more engrossed with the games and become LESS social or able or willing to do anything else to play. When I have 7 and 8 year olds over to play, they only last for so long, maybe an hour, before they want tv or video games--at which point, the playtime ends. They sulk. There is now a huge PUSH to get kids OUT to play and get active. This wouldn't be happening if we rejected video games; families have let them be virtual kiddie tamers; like TV, just a different medium.
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Zack Martinez, 15 Apr 2008 @ 12:48pm

R U kidding me
THer is no way that video games are good for kids they are violent and they tend to set bad examples for children !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Isacc Holt, 15 Apr 2008 @ 12:54pm

no way
There is many sides to this "complaignt" okay
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Isacc Holt, 15 Apr 2008 @ 12:54pm

no way
There is many sides to this "complaignt" okay
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Concerned for Justice, 18 Nov 2008 @ 3:58pm

No More Bias
Anyone who's ever been a parent should not be allowed to post on this topic. In fact, the most unbiased position would likely come from someone who is under 25, has played a very wide variety of games, does NOT play video games as a hobby or profession, is NOT in any way involved with the video game industry, and has lived in an environment not isolated from technology and the internet. The older generations of today are incredibly biased and resistant to change, but a gamer would try to justify himself.

The idea that video games are bad for you (any more than a violent BOOK) is ludicrous. It's just as bad as the argument that Harry Potter is evil, and Columbine was caused by a dungeons and dragons "devil worshiping" session.

Geez...
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 4 Dec 2008 @ 1:43pm

can video games afect your brain
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Anonymous Coward, 10 Feb 2009 @ 5:59pm

make your child have an hour of games
[ link to this | view in chronology ]
Corundum, 5 Oct 2011 @ 5:32pm

Playing video games has children use logic to solve puzzles(Even the most violent video games include difficult puzzles that require logic) or how to defeat the boss of the level, and all games promote perserverance in order to beat the level, win the race, or to defeat the boss. They also promote other skills but i dont feel like listing them all
[ link to this | view in chronology ]