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While it’s commonly thought that gaming can be harmful for young children, neuroscientist Torkel Klingberg and a team of researchers from the Netherlands, Germany, and Sweden claim that it may actually cause a boost in intelligence.
As reported by Science Alert, researchers looked at the screen time records for nearly 10,000 children in the US aged nine and ten, who spent roughly one hour per day playing video games. The team then returned two years later to over 5,000 of those children to see what impact gaming had.
Children Who Spent More Time Gaming Saw A Higher Increase In IQ
They found that children who spent more time playing video games than their peers saw an average increase 2.5 points higher to their IQ. This figure was based on how they performed in tasks related to reading comprehension, visual-spatial processing, flexible thinking, self-control, and memory.
The study did not factor in the differences between mobile and console games, and only looked at children in the US.
“Our results support the claim that screen time generally doesn’t impair children’s cognitive abilities, and that playing video games can actually help boost intelligence,” Klingberg said. “We didn’t examine the effects of screen behaviour on physical activity, sleep wellbeing, or school performance, so we can’t say anything about that. We’ll now be studying the effects of other environmental factors and how the cognitive effects relate to childhood brain development.”
Digital media defines modern childhood, but its cognitive effects are unclear and hotly debated. We believe that studies with genetic data could clarify causal claims and correct for the typically unaccounted role of genetic predispositions.
The team explained that previous studies on the subject had far smaller sample sizes and missed vital context, like socio-economic backgrounds, which led to conflicting reports about the impacts of screentime. Their study attempted to address these issues, while also looking beyond gaming to socialising, TV, and online videos, but even still, more research is required to investigate how exactly screentime affects our habits and bodies.
Kids Gaming
While this study does support the idea that gaming has a positive impact on intelligence, it’s worth considering that the data was based on self-reported figures. Children may have underreported exactly how long they spent gaming, skewing the results. Similarly, the types of games weren’t considered—it’d be fascinating to see how a child who spends hours playing puzzle and logic games develops their intelligence versus someone who primarily plays online shooters like Fortnite, as opposed to considering gaming as a homogenous entity.
Regardless, it’s a fascinating study that sheds light on what impacts gaming may have on growing children, and how the modern world is shaping the next generation.
