Are Video Games Actually Good for Families?

As a teacher or school administrator, it might seem counterintuitive to tell your pupils’ parents to play video games, but the results of an academic study released in August 2011 reveal that playing video games together can actually benefit parents and children.

Of the parents who took part in the study, a third (32%) play computer games with their children every day. Eighty percent describe this as quality time, and one in three report greater bonding with their children as a result of playing these games.  

One in five parents (22%) said that playing computer games has helped their children develop a better understanding of technology.

The research, conducted by PopCap Games, in partnership with Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic of Goldsmiths University, specifically examined the role of “casual games” -- simple puzzle or strategy games, such as Plants vs. Zombies, Angry Birds or Bejeweled -- in helping parents and grandparents bond with their children and grandchildren. The study revealed that 3.8 million parents in the United States play casual games with their children and that many grandparents are using such games as a way to get closer to their tech-savvy grandchildren.

Debunking the myth that video gameplay comes at the cost of “healthier” pursuits, three quarters of parents state that their computer game-playing children also exercise regularly and eat healthily. A third of parents believe that their children are able to concentrate better thanks to playing casual games, while 53% believe that their children have improved problem-solving skills thanks to these games.

The study also shows that the growth in casual games has resulted in children as young as two becoming proficient in the use of smartphones and other tablet devices, and over a quarter of parents (27%) reported that their children borrowed their smartphone every day to play casual games.

Dr. Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Reader in Psychology at Goldsmiths, said, “These findings are important because they highlight the social benefits of playing video games. Previous research has tended to look only at the individual effects of video games, but in the era of social networking, games appear to play a vital role in enhancing social relationships. The fact that both parents and grandparents are using games to connect with their children and grandchildren, and quite successfully, suggests that video games can improve social skills and make a key contribution to both effective parenting and child development."

Cathy Orr, Senior Director of International PR, PopCap, said, “As technology becomes even more consumer-friendly, we at PopCap are delighted to see video games playing an increasing role within family leisure time.”

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