Video games have been found to increase IQ levels in children. This discovery can be called revolutionary, since for a long time scientists ...
Video games have been found to increase IQ levels in children. This discovery can be called revolutionary, since for a long time scientists and researchers spoke only about the dangers of computer games.The experiment of specialists from the Karolinska Institute and the Free Universities of Amsterdam lasted two years. More than 9,000 10-year-olds of both sexes from the United States took part in it. Before the start of the study, the researchers conducted several psychological tests to assess the level of intelligence of the participants. The researchers then recorded how much time children spent on social media, watching TV, and playing video games for two years. After that, they re-tested for cognitive abilities.
Comparing the test results, the scientists concluded how different preferences affect the development of children's intelligence. To avoid bias, the study took into account factors such as genetics, educational level, and social status of the parents of the participants in the experiment.
It turned out that the average American child spends 2.5 hours a day watching TV, 1 hour playing video games, and half an hour on social networks. Researchers have found a relationship between an increase in the duration of playing time and an increase in the level of IQ. At the same time, TV and social networks did not have a noticeable effect on intellectual development.
The scientists came to three conclusions:
- The level of intellectual development of a person is not a given, it can be influenced by external factors
- Video games increase IQ levels in children
- Social networks and TV do not increase or decrease cognitive abilities.
“The experiment did not evaluate the effects of video games on physical activity, sleep and health,” commented Torkel Klingberg, a professor at the Karolinska Institute . "All we've found is that screen time doesn't lower children's intelligence, and video games even increase it."
Among the disadvantages of the study is that the data on the time spent playing video games was provided by the parents of the participants, so it is impossible to talk about their absolute reliability. In addition, the experiment did not distinguish between different genres of games.
