For so many years it was thought that video games were unhealthy for a few reasons that have now been declared defunct. Parents and educators alike thought that being isolated in front of a gaming system led to social isolation and that our youth was missing out on some of life’s most valuable lessons. Perhaps that may have been true at one point in time before gaming was brought online, but today’s multi-player games and AI have actually made gaming a social event that has amazing educational opportunities. Let’s explore a few of them now.
1. Gaming Helps to Develop Fine Motor Movement – Dexterity
You have probably heard the expression quite often in regard to delicate work, “I would help with that but I’m all thumbs.” It’s an old cliché but it is rooted in reality. Some people have never developed fine motor skills but when trying to win a race or battle a demon on a Lenovo Portable Gaming laptop, for example, the right graphics card with plenty of RAM can handle rapid-fire movements. If the player wants to keep up with the action, you will see just how quickly they use the keyboard keys to move about. What can help develop fine motor skills and dexterity better than that, and in a way that is so much fun?
2. Today’s Gamers Develop Better Social Skills
Perhaps part of the issue is that there are two very different online activities often being confused for the other. The truth is that ‘social sites’ like Facebook, TikTok and Twitter can, indeed, be anything BUT social. This is where you will often find kids bullying each other. Without getting too much into that, many child psychologists feel that they use ‘social’ platforms because it’s like being behind a protective barrier.
The person they are bullying can’t physically strike back, so they feel relatively safe. Gaming is not like that in the least. Multi-player games teach kids to work together as a unit rather than working against a weaker player. This might be the case in games of Warfare, but for the average multi-player games, teams work toward teaching each other gaming skills. It’s amazing to watch how they learn to interact.
3. Last But Not Least – Games Can ‘Trick’ You Into Learning!
This is the one that parents and educators love most! Students may not realize it, but gaming can teach kids problem solving skills that are oh-so boring when taught in class. By the time they are in middle or high school math, they will be ready for all the exercises in logic the teachers can throw at them. Problem solving skills, especially in math and science, seem to be among the most difficult concepts for some children to learn. Imagine video games literally tricking them into learning these skills while having so much fun they don’t even realize they are learning new concepts!
There are so many benefits to gaming that parents are amazed at some of the things their adolescents are learning. If you have any doubts whatsoever about just how much gaming can teach your kids, maybe you should join them in a game or two. You might even learn something new yourselves!
