Video games provide us with challenging environments, fun puzzles and endless hours of entertainment. Today it seems that all too many people are spending their time exploring alien worlds, saving Princess Zelda or catching Pokémon. All that time spent in front of a computer screen just can't be good for us and it really can't be good for our children... can it? Most parents, mine included, would probably tell you no. A survey conducted in Australia, however, would say yes! After surveying 12,004 students across 772 schools it was discovered that students who spent significant time online playing video games scored higher in math, reading and science, while students that spent their time on social media scored lower.
The survey was mainly focused on internet usage among 15-year-olds and compared those numbers to recent test scores. Internet usage among Australian teens is higher than it is in the United States -- 97% compared to 93% -- but both countries have large numbers of youth spending their time online compared to Europe, 86%. The survey showed that students spend their time online playing games, engaging in social media and many other activities. The numbers showed that the students that were playing games more often were scoring much higher in all three academic categories while students that spent most of their internet time on social media were scoring much lower.
The infographic below has the details.
Does this mean that video games make kids score higher on tests and social media makes them score lower? Hold the phone on that idea. This could mean that playing video games appeals to students with certain problem-solving skills. Students that are wishing to challenge themselves intellectually outside of the classroom would probably find video games to be better entertainment than Facebook. One thing is certain, further study is required.
You can read more about the survey that was published in the International Journal Of Communication here.
