Video Gaming: 1 Hour Per Week Is Beneficial

Recently, Dr. Jesus Pujol, of the Hospital del Mar in Spain, and his colleagues, studied the relationship between weekly video games and select cognitive abilities and conduct-related problems. There is much debate over the pros and cons of video gaming in young people, but this team’s study found that there can be a sweet spot of just enough video gaming. “Video gaming per se is neither good nor bad, but its level of use makes it so,” said Dr. Pujol.

2442 children ages 7-11 years old participated in the study, and the researchers found that kids who played video games for one hour per week showed better motor skills and higher school achievement scores, yet the benefits did not increase with two hours a week. However, the more weekly time spent playing these games, the more conduct problems, peer conflicts, and reduced social abilities were observed. So there is a limit to the benefits.

“Gaming use was associated with better function in brain circuits critical for learning based on the acquisition of new skills through practice,” explained Dr. Pujol. “Children traditionally acquire motor skills through action, for instance in relation to sports and outdoor games. Neuroimaging research now suggests that training with desktop virtual environments is also capable of modulating brain systems that support motor skill learning.”

For more on this story, go to: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/312834.php