[Gaming Mom] Zergling: Future Gamer

While waiting for the Zergling to spawn, I had been (jokingly) asked this question multiple times: “Will you let your son be a gamer?” Then they would laugh and say: “Don’t. He’ll never finish school.” Statements like these are common, as there’s so much negative press regarding the supposed devastating developmental effects of video gaming, not to mention all the negative gamer stereotypes. Video games are supposedly socially isolating, discouraging of outdoor activities/exercise, and allegedly promote violence.

Research on screen time – computer and television – done by the the American Academy of Pediatrics shows that too much can be harmful to a child’s development and can potentially cause behavioral and health problems. But research specific to just video games reveal generally positive effects from high engagement. Video games are an active engagement – when a person is so absorbed in a videogame they are often actively problem-solving or strategizing, unlike TV where they just sit there and absorb.

There is a whole body of research done to refute myths of the harmful effects of gaming. Doing some reading, I found a lot of research stating that gamers grow up to be happier, more successful adults. So here are some reasons why I would allow my Zergling to be a gamer in the future:

Gamers have better hand-eye coordination, fine motor and spatial skills.
According to the American Office of Naval Research, video game players perform 10 to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability than people who are non-gamers, and that video games can actually increase perceptual abilities and short-term memory.[1] Another study Iowa State University shows that even surgeons do better when they routinely game.[2]

Gamers are [potentially] better at jobs that require brains.
Gamers are always trying to be better than other players, so they do a lot of research and practice. If one is passionate about something, the drive to find and digest information is stronger. Knowing how and where to find information online will be (if it is not already) considered an important skill in the work place.

Gamers are happier than non-gamers.
Gaming even a little bit led to higher levels of well-being.[3] In studies where it was suggested that there is a connection between gaming and better well-being, it was the people who did not play video games that showed more signs of leaning towards depression.

Games increase creativity.
According to new research by Michigan State University scholars, there is a relation between video game playing and greater creativity. MSU studied 491 12 year olds and discovered that the more kids played video games, the more creative they were in tasks such as drawing pictures and writing stories.[4]

Games can increase cognitive flexibility – the mental ability to switch between thinking about two different concepts, and to think about multiple concepts simultaneously.
Researchers from the School of Biological and Chemical Sciences at Queen Mary University of London found that the volunteers who were made to play StarCraft experienced an increase in their performance on psychological tests. They were faster and more accurate in cognitive flexibility tasks, which were designed to gauge a person’s agility in switching from one task to another.[5]

Games lead to faster, accurate decision making.
University of Rochester Cognitive scientists have identified that playing fast-paced games prepares people to correctly decide faster. The study found that gamers have a sharpened awareness to their environment, and this doesn’t just apply in games, but also in skills that can help with mundane activities like multitasking, driving, reading the fine print, keeping track of faces in a crowd, and moving around town.[6]

Gamers learn teamwork and leadership skills through interactions in-game.
Players in MMOs often need to be in guilds to progress and get to the end game. Guilds are often structured like real world companies, and are rooted in the understanding of the real world (complete with their set of officers, recruitment people, etc). Leadership in game happens fast – there are many chances for leadership practice; it pushes for risk taking; and they exercise concepts and social skills that are quite relevant to the game world and the real one.[7]

Video games have been under siege since they first came out. Much like the previous generation’s issues with television. But too much of something is never a good thing. All the negative press gaming has does not do eSports any favors. People have to realise that gaming (and eSports) has its benefits and that the media sometimes likes to put the focus on the sensationalised negative aspect of gaming. The issues gaming poses are not purely from gaming itself but rather from a general lack of guidance. An aggressive child is more a result of dysfunctional parenting than exposure to violent games.

So to the guy who asked me if my Zergling can/will be a gamer: Yes, he can/will.

Just because I like supporting my opinion with research:

[1] Researchers Examine Video Gaming’s Benefits
[2] Surgeons may err less by playing video games
[3] Old people who play video games are happier, concludes study
[4] Video Game Playing Tied to Creativity
[5] Playing video games can boost brain power
[6] Video Games Lead to Faster Decisions that are No Less Accurate
[7] Reaves, B., & Malone, T. W. (2007). Leadership in games and work: Implications for the enterprise of massively multiplayer online role-playing games. Seriosity, Inc.

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