Gaming, skills that children can acquire by playing video games

Video games are an occupation of children that usually causes concern for parents. But how would they feel if they knew that gaming can teach young men and women important skills?

With the number of gamers having exceeded 3 billion, we have now moved from the stage of console and gaming platform, such as PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo, to the field of computers and “smart” mobile phones.

Cognitive skills
The fact that children can stay in front of a screen for hours or even days, in addition to being a source of anxiety, can also be an element of great concentration. This is because games often require split-second reactions and quick decision-making, allowing them to better detect and react to changes in their environment.

At the same time, having to remember pictures, characters and secret passages, as well as using maps, helps improve memory and attention to detail. Similarly, there is evidence that some games, such as Minecraft, are great for developing creativity.

Problem solving skills
Games are a great way to improve problem solving skills and learn how to use logic and creativity to find the necessary solutions needed to advance to the next levels.

On the one hand, games can help children learn how to “break” problems into parts and then work on one part at a time. This can be a great way to enable children to develop the ability to manage complex problems.

Reasoning skills
Understanding how to read data, how different tools work, and different metrics are valuable skills that help children make sense of the world around them.

In the data society, the ability to make sense of the wealth of information, make meaningful connections, apply sound judgments, and build persuasive arguments will help children throughout their lives. Insightful critical thinking, after all, is a fundamental life skill.

Social skills
With the transfer of games online, the interaction between players has increased rapidly. The in-game chat features enable social interaction, which helps them develop communication and collaboration skills, and educates them on how to work harmoniously in a team.

While social relationships were once limited to the school setting, now children can converse with people from all over the world, taking their first steps in learning new languages or helping them get to know different cultural backgrounds.

Self knowledge
According to the Games for Health Journal, many studies looking at people’s mood and anxiety have found that playing video games significantly helps in this direction, compared to taking a passive break, surfing the internet, or performing a relaxation activity.

In addition, video games can provide a sense of fulfillment. Finally, children can learn the benefits of completing a task, the importance of organization and planning, and how learning new skills can lead to better results and success.

In addition to all of the above, children should only play under adult supervision.

There are a few things parents and guardians need to keep in mind – for example, whether a particular toy is age-appropriate and, regardless of a child’s age, how the toy affects their school performance, sleep, screen time use and behavior.

Here are some helpful tips:
When buying your child a toy, check the age rating.
Avoid video games that allow in-app purchases, as these abuse marketing and allow players to bypass learning skills based on game progression by simply buying their way to more advanced levels.
While you can give your children some privacy as they grow from teenagers to young adults, only allow play in the common areas of your home.

This way, you will be able to monitor their behavior. Remember, however, not to check them too hard. Instead, aim to build trusting relationships and allow yourself to learn and even play the same games.
Agree in advance on the times and duration of the game. In this way, children can also learn how to plan their time as they want. And because games are also social activities, they’ll be able to talk about them with their friends.

Turn off game notifications when it’s not time to play and set up parental controls on consoles like PlayStation, Xbox or Nintendo Switch, as well as on your kids’ phones.
Talk to them about how to stay safe online, what cyberbullying is, the types of scams they might encounter and that not everyone they meet online is as well-intentioned as they seem.

Games aren’t just for kids
The benefits of games are not only for children, but also for adults. Among other things, beyond entertainment, short-term action video games can improve spatial vision and visual attention in some visually impaired adults, and some doctors even play games before surgeries to improve their techniques.