Kids Who Do This Often Looked-Down-Upon Thing Are More Intelligent, According To Study
Children with this hobby have higher IQs.
Miljan Zivkovic | Shutterstock Often, children who spend their free time playing video games are viewed as lazy and looked down upon. There is a negative stereotype that this hobby leads to, for lack of a better term, brain rot. However, research shows that this line of thinking could not be further from the truth.
A study found that kids who play video games are more intelligent.
The 2022 study published in the journal Scientific Reports suggested that children who play video games regularly are actually more intelligent. The study, which was conducted by researchers from the Netherlands, Sweden, and Germany, looked at the impacts of playing video games, watching TV, and using the internet to socialize — all of which are traditionally viewed as harming children's health.
Watching TV and using the internet to socialize showed no real measurable effect on intelligence, positive or negative. However, the researchers discovered an interesting finding related to video games.
They examined 9,855 children between the ages of nine and 10 who were enrolled in the ABCD study, also known as the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development Study — "the largest long-term study of brain development and child health in the United States." They then followed up with 5,169 of these participants two years later and found that "after two years, gaming positively impacted intelligence."
Researchers defined intelligence as “the ability to learn effectively, think rationally, understand complex ideas and adapt to new situations.” This, they said, is “highly predictive of a person’s future, including happiness, longevity, income, and educational achievement.”
Kids who spent more than the average amount of time playing video games had an IQ increase of 2.5 points.
This information could be pivotal in shaping how the world views technology moving forward.
For so long, it’s been assumed that technology, especially unnecessary tech like video games, is a bad thing that provides no enrichment. It appears, however, that this assumption is false.
Noting how this data could change the way technology is viewed, researchers said, “This topic is a source of heated public debates and deserves careful attention from policymakers and researchers.”
David Nield, who reported on the study for Science Alert, noted, “The research should prove useful in the debate over how much screen time is suitable for young minds.”
It’s quite possible that this research could contribute to a more accepting attitude surrounding screen time in general, and especially for kids. It seems to contradict conventional wisdom and is certainly something to consider closely.
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Still, the guidelines for children and screens remain strict.
The American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry recommends that screen time be carefully regulated for children five and under. Once kids reach the age of six, they suggest that families “encourage healthy habits and limit activities that include screens.” While they did not offer a target amount of screen time for this age group, it’s clear that they believe less is more.
Excessive screen time still has negative consequences, like damaging children's eyesight, increasing weight gain, and disrupting sleep patterns. Still, parents can rest easy knowing that it’s OK to give their kids a bit more time to play video games — it might even make them smarter than their peers.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
