New study on video game effects is a win for gamers

“Whether they play that much — up to four hours a day or just an hour a day — it doesn’t affect their cognitive performance,” the study says.

HOUSTON. A new study has shown that video games do not harm children’s cognitive abilities, even if they play games for several hours every day.

Researchers at the University of Illinois and the University of Houston followed 160 teens in fifth grade. Children reported playing over 150 different video games at home. They shared how much time they spend playing games each day. Their math and verbal skills were then measured using a standardized test used by schools across the country.

“Whether they play that much — up to four hours a day or just an hour a day — it doesn’t affect their cognitive performance,” said Mae Jadalla, the study’s principal investigator.

Jadalla said she was surprised not to see any difference. There was no improvement in children who played educational games or exercised fast reflexes. In addition, children who spent the most time playing games did not feel worse than those who spent less time in front of the screen.

The study did not examine the social or behavioral impact of video games, so Jadalla said more research is needed to get a full picture of their impact on children.

“Parents shouldn’t say, ‘Children, you can play as much as you can or whatever you want.’ I would not recommend it at all,” Jadalla said.

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