Video games weren’t designed with your child’s brain development in mind, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t helping your child learn and grow. Gaming has a bad reputation for being a waste of time and a brain cell-killer. However, recent studies show this to be far from the truth. Here are four ways video games can actually benefit your kid.
4 Ways Video Games Can Actually Benefit Your Kid
Gaming Improves Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is an important skill, but many teachers find that students don’t relate well to older works of literature. Students growing up with a world of knowledge at the tip of their fingers have trouble slowing down and capturing the messages in poetic works and other literature.
Enter virtual reality.
Alternate reality is plopping students down right in the middle of the story they are learning about. They get to be the hero, solve the problem, and experience the culture that they are learning about. This exercises their critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Gaming can also improve self-esteem and set them up for success in their careers.
Gaming Reduces Stress
How well do you function at work when you are stressed or worried? Well, kids deal with stress, too, and it affects their schoolwork and social life dramatically. Gaming can be therapeutic for people of all ages, making it a great way to relax and shake off the problems of the day. It is well known that relaxation reduces the risk of heart attack and stroke, so why not pick up the controller and be player two with your kid?
Video Games Suit Individual Learning Styles
There are seven major learning styles. Schools tend to teach children in the verbal and logical styles, leaving kids with other style preferences behind. Video games adapt to fit the learning needs of your child. Learning happens at their pace and challenges are adjusted accordingly. All of the seven learning types can be nurtured through games. Multiplayer games can even help social learners grow their skills and have a great time.
Games May Lead to a Career Down the Road
Anyone who ever said video games are a waste of time should read the next sentence. In 2018, the U.S. gaming industry raked in 43.4 billion dollars. That means that some game-loving kids grew up to be game-loving, wealthy adults. Video game designers can make their fortune doing something they love with the help of game launcher companies. If your gaming child shows interest in game design, nurture it. They could create the next world-renowned game!
While it’s fair to feel a degree of concern about the amount of time your child devotes to playing games, the activity itself is not the complete waste of time you may have assumed. Help your child keep his or her playing within moderation, but also keep in mind that video games have some significant benefits for players.
Lizzie Weakley is a freelance writer from Columbus, Ohio. In her free time, she enjoys the outdoors and walks in the park with her three-year-old husky, Snowball. To game developers, she recommends using a game launcher.
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