If you freak out every time your kids start overplaying the video games and start imagining thousands of different scenarios how your kids might end up in the useless rabbit hole of video games, then you are not alone.
When it comes to video games, kids have several options these days. A new game comes out every week or month, and there are also frequent updates in the already existing ones, making them more fun and enticing for the players.
As opposed to the general belief, not all video gamers are antisocial children trying to compensate for their needs for companionship through the games.
Similarly, not all video games are bad for your children. Several research studies have asserted the importance of video games in teaching children some essential life skills through creative gameplay and storytelling.
How video games teach children valuable life lessons?
In video games, there is an intricate web of fictional characters. The survival of these characters, and taking charge in numerous situations help children learn what schools or parents cannot possibly teach them.
Valuable life skills that video games teach
- Reading
Although nothing can beat the classic practice of reading books, video games have shown significant success in improving the reading abilities of the players.
Have you ever wondered how your kids perform best even when the text appearing at one corner of the gaming screen goes away in a flash? That is what video games teach the children: reading fast without compromising on the quality of comprehension.
An experiment revealed that fast-paced video games helped dyslexic children in increasing their reading speed. The researchers used the video game Rayman Raving Rabbids.
They found that even though the game is not text-based, the attention to detail and instructions required by the game was highly effective in increasing the reading speed of dyslexic children.
- Organization
One critical skill that all of us learn during adulthood is organization. Be it your work life or personal life; you have to be organized to achieve your goals.
Video games can easily teach the skill of organization to the players. In these games, an excessive amount of planning is required to complete various tasks. A player has to be organized and thinks several moves ahead to come up with a winning strategy.
Moreover, quest games need the players to be vigilant with all the survival kits ready at hand to win impossible quests. All these challenges hone the organizational skills of the players.
- Strategic Planning
Video games, especially puzzle games, are extremely useful in teaching the importance of strategic planning to kids. These games involve a lot of contemplation, as every move affects the result of the game.
This is a critical life skill that children pick up from video games: their actions have some consequences, and every move should be thought over and planned.
For instance, puzzle games such as Santa Delivery by Unlimited Gamez mo is excellent for learning strategy and planning.
In this game, players have to distribute gifts to various houses, but the catch is that they have to plan the delivery routes and avoid all the obstacles that they might encounter on the way.
These games play a vital role in teaching the importance of planning to the players. The skills learned in these games help them tackle the complex situations they face in real life.
- Group Conformity
Another most essential life skill that children learn by playing video games is group conformity. Have you ever noticed how emotionally involved and responsible a player is when it comes to winning together as a team in a video game?
These games teach children the importance of being a part of the group, the importance of taking everyone together, and not leaving any man behind. Video games promote social connections and their importance in achieving a common goal.
- Money Management
It is practically impossible to teach young children how to be careful with the limited allowance that they get. Kids are reckless spenders – they see a toy or candy, and they rush to buy it.
However, in a videogame, they have limited money to buy weapons and stuff that is required to complete the mission. They have to be smart with their purchases and spend the money wisely.
This compulsion helps them learn how to prioritize their needs and what things they should spend the money on. One such example is the game “Animal Crossing.” After initially carrying out a purchase in the game, the players have to work to pay the mortgage.
They have to carry out various tasks to earn money. This activity teaches them the importance of earning money and utilizing it where needed. This life skill is particularly crucial as even many adults struggle with money management.
Another example of a video game teaching money management to the children is the RollerCoaster Tycoon. It is an intricate game of managing a park that also explains the concepts of profits and loss.
- Communication
Research conducted at the University of Glasgow revealed that video games significantly improve communication skills in the players. The children were observed for their communication skills and their effectiveness while playing a video game.
The results of the experiment came out contrary to popular belief. The games which are blamed for turning children into muted puppets during any social gathering resulted in improved communication skills in the children.
Final Words
Video games are widely believed to impede the social and mental development of kids. Kids who play these games are considered antisocial. However, scientific evidence shows otherwise. Video games can play an essential role in teaching essential skills and life lessons to kids.
It does not imply that video games alone can do all the teaching. The point of all the research studies and their implications is to highlight the fact that video games can be very useful in shaping the personality of the kids and helping them learn essential life skills.