(ORDO NEWS) — The study found that video games can have a positive effect on a child’s intelligence.
The study, published in the journal Nature, followed 9,855 US children in the ABCD Study, a long-term study of brain development and health in US children aged 9-10 years, following them for two years.
Other factors affecting intelligence were also assessed, including socioeconomic status.
“Digital media defines modern childhood, but its cognitive effects are unclear and hotly debated.
We believe that research with genetic data can clarify causation and correct the typically unaccounted for role of genetic predispositions,” the team wrote in the study, adding, “Our focus here is on the impact of screen time on intelligence: the ability to learn effectively, think rationally, understand complex ideas and adapt to new situations.”
The researchers concluded that video games do not damage intelligence and can, in fact, improve it.
“Our most important finding was that games had a positive effect on the number of changes in intelligence, such that children who played video games at age 9-10 showed the largest gains in intelligence after two years,” the team wrote.
The team found that, following the children two years later, those who played computer games longer than average increased their IQ scores by about 2.5 points above the average for their age group.
The scientists note that previous research has shown that the experience gained in certain video games is positively correlated with intelligence.
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