Playing Video Games Has an Unexpected Effect on Kids’ IQ

The following is excerpted from an online article posted by ScienceAlert.

Researchers have linked spending more time playing video games with a boost in intelligence in children, which goes some way to contradicting the narrative that gaming is bad for young minds.

While the difference in cognitive abilities was a small one and isn’t enough to show a causal relationship, it is enough to be notable – and the 2022 study was careful to factor in variables including differences in genetics and the child’s socio-economic background.

Meanwhile, watching TV and using social media didn’t seem to have a positive or negative effect on intelligence. The research should prove useful in the debate over how much screen time is suitable for young minds.

“Digital media defines modern childhood, but its cognitive effects are unclear and hotly debated,” the team from the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden writes in their published paper.

“We believe that studies with genetic data could clarify causal claims and correct for the typically unaccounted role of genetic predispositions.”

The researchers looked at screen time records for 9,855 kids in the ABCD Study, all in the US and aged 9 or 10. On average, the youngsters reported spending 2.5 hours a day watching TV or online videos, 1 hour playing video games, and half an hour socializing on the internet.

They then accessed data for more than 5,000 of those children two years later. Over the intervening period, those in the study who reported spending more time than the norm on video games saw an increase of 2.5 IQ points above the average rise.

The IQ point increase was based on the kids’ performance on tasks that included reading comprehension, visual-spatial processing, and a task focused on memory, flexible thinking, and self-control.

Source: ScienceAlert
https://www.sciencealert.com/playing-video-games-has-an-unexpected-effect-on-kids-iq-study-discovers