If you worry that hours of games will make your child slow and awkward, a new UK survey might change your mind. The survey’s results suggest that video games can help your child’s development. Video games could help kids read better, relate to others better, and have better mental health.
The National Literacy Trust Survey
Conducted by the National Literacy Trust, the survey involved 4,626 kids from 11 to 16 across the UK. The interviews began in November 2019 and ended in December of the same year.
Survey Results
After the survey, the researchers found that around 35.3% of the children believed video games helped them read better. About 79.4% of the kids said that they read video game materials, such as books and reviews, once a month.
Reading gaming materials also pushed 62.5% of the kids to write pieces once a month, like blogs and fan fiction. Moreover, video games also improved the kids’ social skills. About 76.3% of the subjects talked to their friends about video games. On the other hand, only 29.4% discussed books.
Parents also noted the benefits of video games on their kids. About 69.6% of parents said that talking to friends and family through games has helped their kids’ mental health.
What Do These Results Mean?
The researchers found that video games helped the kids connect to other kids in both the game world and the real world. Their improved social connections also boosted their overall mental health.
Moreover, video games helped the kids cope with extreme stress or difficult emotions. The researchers noted that video games helped the kids during COVID-19 lockdowns.
The researchers did not specify the games or how long the kids played.