Are video games bashing their brains?

Connie Matthiessen, Associate Editor

Are video games bad for kids because they normalize violence and distract kids from reading, homework, and other pursuits? Or do video games — in moderation — play a positive role, teaching kids important skills like strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making?

I've never been a fan of video games and I managed to keep my home free of them for years. My sons wore me down when one was in middle school, the other in high school. I relented because I wanted the kids to bring their friends home, and video games are a major teen-boy attraction.

But I'm no convert. I hate the beeps and crashes, the artificial graphics, the spooky avatars. I particularly hate the bleary, stupified expression kids get when they play, and it sends me 'round the bend when it's gorgeous outside and I find my boys slumped in a darkened room with all their attention focused on the churning screen.

Boys and video games

It's a struggle, but I've managed to enforce a no-screen rule on school nights. Still, I worry that gaming is affecting my boys' school performance. In the bigger picture, I wonder whether video games are responsible for the alarming lag in boys' academic achievement. In his 2010 book, Why Boys Fail, journalist Richard Whitmire documented this lag, pointing out that girls are outpacing boys in school — through college and beyond. The average graduating classes at a four-year college is now close to 60 percent female, for example, and more women than men are earning advanced degrees.

In his books, Whitmire explores the role of video games in the boy/girl achievement gap (some girls do play video games, of course, but not as obsessively or single-mindedly as boys do). Whitmire is no fan of gaming, but he doesn't believe it's responsible for the gender gap. The problem, he believes, is boys' overall disengagement from school — an issue with complex roots that he explores at length in his book.

Video games and academic achievement

Still, it nags at me — and I’m not alone. A recent study published in the journal Psychological Science found stark evidence of the erosive effect video games can have on learning. Researchers compared two groups of boys ages 6 to 9 over a four month period. Both groups were going to get video games, but one group had access to video games immediately while the others (the control group) had to wait four months. Researchers found that the boys who played video games had significantly lower reading and writing scores and greater teacher-reported learning problems, compared to the control group.

When I told my sons about this study, they reacted with scorn.

"You read too many studies, Mom," one told me.

"I bet I could find ten other studies that prove the opposite," the other said.

Do they protest too much? Both could be doing better academically, but are video games the issue? Both fit Whitmire's profile in terms of their disengagement from school. At the same time, one is an athlete, and his demanding sports schedule means he's often exhausted when he should be doing homework. The other loves to read and frequently spends more time reading books than doing his homework. In both cases, I’m glad that they have passions outside of school (and outside of video games!)

But based on this latest research, I wonder — yet again — if I should toss out the %$#@% thing. Is it too late? Am I, as my boys would say, hopelessly behind the times, tilting at consoles?

I'd love to hear how you think video games affect learning, and how you handle gaming at your house.

Comments

[Eliz on June 04, 2012 at 10:22 AM]

My 10 yr old son must read for 45 minutes prior to 45 mins of play. Noncompliance results in unplugging and locking up the PS3. I'm not a big fan of Black Ops, but it is both a behavioral tool and reward, ironically,

[Susan on June 04, 2012 at 04:22 PM]

It's not just video games. After the 3rd grade, my sons are watching more sports on t.v. and playing sports. I see their interest in reading and school work decreasing while the girls in their classes are performing better. The girls are not as interested in watching sports or video games.

[Marc Kramer on June 10, 2012 at 11:40 PM]

Connie Matthiessen asks "Or do video games — in moderation — play a positive role, teaching kids important skills like strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making?"

If video games really did accomplish these things, what sense would it make to allow them only in moderation? Just explain to the teacher the reason homework isn't done is because your sons were spending the evening working on their higher order skills instead of the mindless homework.

Seriously, do you need a study to validate the downward spiral you already witness? In a sense I agree with the child who admonishes you about reading too many studies. Your boys obviously understand they did not need a study to convince you to finally allow the video games in YOUR household, where YOU are the PARENT.

Why do any of your readers need even one study or the affirmation of other parents to justify taking the mindless time waster away and turning their CHILDREN back to more productive pursuits?

By the way, double or quadruple the time you think your kids spend on video games. What do you think they are doing over at their friend's homes, on the bus, and during lunch times?

You want them to learn strategic thinking, problem solving, and decision making? Try chess! Too hard, too boring, not "fun" they will say. Yes, exactly.... to learn these skills IS difficult, tedious, and requires disciplined thought. In contrast, high achievement in a video game requires countless hours of repetition, rapid button pushing, and a semi-comatose state of mind.

[Nat on June 11, 2012 at 10:37 AM]

I have a five year old son we introduced Mario Brothers to. The video gaming quickly turned into an obsession which had my son incessantly asking to play "Mario". If I responded with, "Not now" or anything that deferred the game my son eventually would throw tantrums. These were tantrums that included him saying he didn't want a family, hated his parents and the like. My solution was to take it all away. It's worked like a charm and he very rarely requests video games now. I think total abstinence from the video games is the only solution and cannot take chances on this becoming an issue that will separate me from my son. Hope this helps.