The first video game generation has now grown up and is confronting the video game issue with their children. Of course, video games have come a long way since the 1970-80s. While there are still plenty of car race and shoot-‘em-up games available, Wii and X-Box have added an interactive, physical dimension to gaming that addresses many of the sedentary and social complaints of the past. Leap Frog, Nickelodeon and Scholastic are using games to build academic skills. From preschool to high school, educators have embraced video games as a useful learning tool.
Gaming is still a frequent battleground between parents and children, but emerging scientific research may help alleviate parents’ concerns. New studies indicate that gaming enhances children’s reasoning capacity, improves spatial skills, and increases social interaction. Setting age-appropriate gaming limits and ensuring that your child lives a balanced life are still important, but video games may play an appropriate role in that balance.
Next time: The truth about video game myths