02-21-2009, 09:42 PM
It would be interesting if they could draw a correlation between WoW playing and higher math scores. I think it is quite possible, and for the same reasons IMHO that Mozart listeners probably have higher average math scores; they have well educated parents to learn from, a roof over their head, 3 square meals, a good school district, etc. I doubt that there are many WoW players or Mozart listeners in Gary or Compton.
The types of benefits described with regards to FPS gaming can mostly be reaped by playing hide and go seek, capture the flag, or trying to remember where you put all of your toys. Hand-eye coordination and response time seems a bigger benefit from such twitch games, but then kids used to swing at curve balls. Kids also used to calculate the stats of their favorite ball players, make lineups for those spin-o-matic games, play chess, etc. Gaming in general is an important part of development and having fun is probably pretty important to mental health, but I don't think video games specifically bring that much that is unique, and they are lacking in some areas like physical exercise and face-to-face social interaction. So, you know, all things in moderation.
The types of benefits described with regards to FPS gaming can mostly be reaped by playing hide and go seek, capture the flag, or trying to remember where you put all of your toys. Hand-eye coordination and response time seems a bigger benefit from such twitch games, but then kids used to swing at curve balls. Kids also used to calculate the stats of their favorite ball players, make lineups for those spin-o-matic games, play chess, etc. Gaming in general is an important part of development and having fun is probably pretty important to mental health, but I don't think video games specifically bring that much that is unique, and they are lacking in some areas like physical exercise and face-to-face social interaction. So, you know, all things in moderation.