You'll notice that I often write about the benefits of video games. That's because I truly believe that a moderate amount of game play for your average person is actually healthy and here's even more proof of that.
Jane McGonigal (an author and game designer) wrote an article in the Huffington Post that really made some amazing points about the benefits of video games. She starts by pointing out that, "The single biggest misconception about games is that they're an escapist waste of time. But more than a decade's worth of scientific research shows that gaming is actually one of the most productive ways we can spend time."
Did you know that half a billion people play video games online at least an hour a day, 183 million in the US alone? Also, the younger you are, the more likely you are to play video games. 97% of boys and 94% of girls under the age of 18 play video games regularly.
So why are so many people turning to video games? According to Jane's research, "It's because games do a better job than ordinary life of provoking our most powerful positive emotions -- like curiosity, optimism, pride, and a desire to join forces with others to achieve something extraordinary."
Check out these amazing statistics...
Kids who spend 30 minutes playing "pro-social" games like Super Mario Sunshine (in which you clean up pollution and graffiti around an island) are then more likely to help their friends, family and neighbors in real-life for up to a full week after playing the game. I mean, that's pretty cool.
Want your son or daughter to play a musical instrument? Well then pick up a game like Rock Band or Guitar Hero. People who play those kinds of games report spending more time learning to play real musical instruments than they did before they started playing the video games.
Feeling insecure? Not sure how you're going to do on that big test tomorrow? If you can spend even just 90 seconds on a game like World of Warcraft - where you have a mighty and powerful avatar - you can boost your self-confidence so much that for up to 24 hours, you're more likely to do well on that test at school... and you will be more outgoing in real-world social situations.
So what's the optimal amount of game play time? For most people, about an hour a day of playing your favorite video game or games will power up your ability to, "engage whole-heartedly with difficult challenges and strengthen your relationships with the people you care about the most." Also, Jane stresses that all video games are NOT created equal.
For a positive effect, video games should be face-to-face with family and friends or playing cooperative games (not competitive games). If you're sitting alone in your room playing for hours a day, that's not really helping anyone or anything. Also it's important for parents to pick up the controller and play with their kids sometimes. Experts suggest that they should spend as much time as they can playing video games with their kids.
So part of your homework every night should include an hour of cooperative, face-to-face video game play. Let your parents know it's good for your health.
What do you think about all this? Do you think that it's true? Can video games really be good for you? Tell us what you think in the comments below.
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