Scientific researches conclude video games increase cognitive skills

In an address at TED, cognitive researcher Daphne Bavelier talks about the advantages gaming has to offer from a scientific point of view, versus how games are looked at through the lens of “general wisdom”.

[djslimzz]

Interesting article guys.

[Army_of_Darkness]

Aren't us gamers at the verge of shooting up malls and schools filled with people after playing call of duty??? This article makes sense! WTF??

[Mounce]

I say, the 'adults' of the generation(Most of them, like, the Fox-News sheep) only go on those rants of ignorance because they're afraid, confused, like back in the days of WITCHCRAFT AND SORCERY! Except instead of those 2, it's VIDYA GAME SORCERY!! And witchcraft of Nudity/Gore blame-games to procrastinate their own issues and relativity in how useless they feel internally.

Soon as this....Gaming age of youth and both cognitive skillz, logic, and all things gain beyond the minor troubles of our own generation of youthful ignorance and bias, I'd believe our generation in the future has a great potential to making a brighter future, Imho. The baby-boomer age of the adults and seniors that cause all these issues, I'm just waiting for them to kick the bucket as morbid as that may sound... They're holding back most of our futures with their paranoia and shitty parental skills, shitty grasp of logic, shitty bias and discriminating beliefs....

Seeing say, for instance. The whole homosexual-rights and of drugs being a priority to the now-adult generation, it's illogical, brain-numbing stupidity, a struggle for everyone who logically and intellectually know they're right but having the police, government and ignorant-type of adults being sheep and siding with blindness. They hate what is simply the conformity of what they think they should hate. What was the statistics of Online users caring about homosexual rights? 75%+ said They don't care, let them all do what they want to do, the real world statistics offline including non-gamers, Non-internet users, were severely hating on basic human rights.

The only times when Anon are the good guys to me. Fighting the good fight while the others sleep, they shall sleep until they die. I will fight and argue with what is wrong in the world. With my awesome increase in cognitive skillz!1!! Lol

[osiris]

Pretty ineresting to see what can gaming do to society

[gemugurl]

Video games should be part of general education I say

[nassour]

indeed, gaming is less of a hobby nowadays and more of a way of life

[Dovahkiin]

I just think a lot of people need to view them as they would view films. A game can tell a story in a completely different way, and I think a lot of people just view games as killing simulators etc.

[gemugurl]

Exactly it would be interesting to consider video games as part of our culture

[ChampOfChamps]

Many schools already do complete courses revolving around analyzing films, so why not video games? They deserve the same type of analysis and respect films get. You're right though, people do look at them in a certain light, and that has to change. Researchers like her are trying to change that.

[Rauland]

I love the fact that technology mutli-taskers (browsing the net, listening to music, chatting on facebook) did poorly in the tests and believed they would ace it, lol.

[Qrphe]

Generally what we call multitasking isn't very good for your brain. In the long run you find yourself finding it hard to focus on one thing.

[Gigglefist]

Yet ironically, multitasking has been proven to cause people to be happier.

[Sketchy_Galore]

Sorry but that's nonsense. I multitask all day and don't.... have... that thing you said, hey, did you see the World War Z trailer? I don't think it looks very good but I liked the book, the first few chapters anyway.... got distracted halfway through it and... Oh hey, apparently turtles can breathe through their backsides. I'm hungry. What day is it?

[gemugurl]

Exactly. It divides your focus and its not necessarly good for your efficiency . For businesses its interesting since it makes them be able to have more productive employees (but not necessarly more efficient, quantity over quality).

[Qrphe]

Let's not overestimate the "positive" effect of videogames however. Yes, certain videogames do increase cognitive skills but there are others forms of entertainments that could increase such skills much more efficiently.

It's like saying that you'll lose weight by sitting down and thinking of something (which burns calories) when you could be doing something much more efficient (such as running).

[3GenGames]

You're saying something physical can be changed mentally. Video games are mental process to mental process. Your example is very, very sh*tty to compare as it's something not in the same class. Maybe if you had better cognitive skills, you'd understand this situation and produce a argument with objects that are actually related to each other.

I hate to say it so directly, but...you're wrong. I know I am smart because of video games. I always grew up playing the arcade game Defender in my basement. I sucked when I was small! But as the years went on and I grew, so did my score in the game and the ability to play it. I firmly believe that game helped my brain develop and made it easy for me to keep track of complex things because the situations in the game could have a variety of enemies, all of which need to be countered in a specific way. Those helped because they always challenged my brain, and as it grew and I got deeper in to the game with more enemies, my ability to diffuse the situations in the game and keep track of ever enemy on the screen and counter them all at once the best way. And the fact that as I got better the situations grew larger each time was the PERFECT way to keep on pushing that development. I can keep track of numbers very well. Concentrate on stuff I am doing very well, too! I am also able to notice fine details without having to try to notice them. I think if I never played that game, I'd of never of had to try to out think something, in that case it was all the games enemies. I'd of never been pushed, I'd of never been challenged by anything, and I'd be a lot dumber than I am right now. I firmly believe it. I know it, honestly.

To be able to come out of most of those situations in the game alive, you also need to know:

Where each enemy is.
What type the enemy is
What it will do if you react in a certain way.

And other details that if you don't take in to consideration, you WILL DIE in the game. Death isn't "you aren't good at a game", death is you are not able to process information and keep track of it as well and counter it because you don't think efficient enough, period. Being able to keep track of all that without having to think is a skill that is honed in during years of playing games and will help you in many, MANY ways in every day life that aren't video games. I'd never have the mental capacity I do today if I was not pushed by videogames.

[jc48573]

when I can't figure something out, I play a game and then come back to the problem and voila!

[xtreampro]

When researchers find a bit of good in playing video games you guys praise and then when they find the opposite you start screaming like little girls.

There's more harm than good.

[Sketchy_Galore]

Most gamers I've encountered online must be acting out some deeply biting and satirical characature of modern idiocy that I'm not quite smart enough to get. I'm gonna go play games until I'm able to figure it out.

[DevilRebellion]

I knew it all along! Gaming has its perks! :)

[bigfish]

Alas! finally an article in favour of video games