(Newswire.net — May 2, 2017) — When parents think about video games, they tend to focus on the potential dangers associated with them. But there are also positive aspects of playing these games; researchers have shown that they can help children in developing important life skills. The right games can be used to supplement teaching academic subjects and sports, and there are ways to promote activity through video games. The following are just a few of the areas in which video games can contribute to children’s education.
Problem-solving skills
Video games can foster the development of young brains when they require planning, strategies, and multiple approaches to problems. The ability to solve puzzles and to confront difficulties pays off in terms of self-confidence, advancement through learning topics, and creative self-expression.
Inspiring interest in history and culture
For young students, video games can bring the past alive and make the traditions of other peoples accessible and intriguing. Age of Empires is just one example of a game that has been known to spark interest in history, geography, and international relations.
Socialization
Parents often think of video gaming as an activity that isolates children from the real world. In fact, these games can be a great way for them to make new friends. By getting together online or at a game console, children have a new way to interact. Boys, in particular, seem to prefer playing with groups of friends rather than alone.
Competition
Competition is a big part of life. Competition fosters improvement, and it is completely normal for children to want to see who is the best at a given game. Indeed, it is the competitive environment that helps maintain their interest. Video games provide children with an arena for competition that does not involve the risk of injury, and in which physical size does not dictate who will win.
Opportunities to lead and to teach
Many video games require, and thereby promote, teamwork and leadership skills. When a child masters a video game, he or she becomes an expert and can experience the rewards of teaching others. In the process of acquiring and passing on gaming skills, children also develop their socialising and communication skills, as well as their patience.
Bringing parents and kids together
Probably the best aspect of video games, though, is that they can bring families together. There is nothing cuter, and no better educational experience than a 10-year-old teaching his dad how to play. Sibling rivalries can be channelled into games, and they can help to build bonds among stepchildren and distant relatives.
The negative aspects of video games are well known and frequently, perhaps too frequently, discussed. It is important that benefits like the ones discussed here be recognised and understood by parents so that they can help their children to prepare for life in a society dominated by technology.