Study Finds Video Game Play Leads To Better Social Skills
A new Oxford University study suggests children who play video games for an hour or less per day are more sociable than their peers.
This study, published in the Journal of Pediatrics received data from 5000 British children between the ages of 10 and 15 (half male and half female). Each participant was surveyed on the following:
- Satisfaction of life
- Levels of hyperactivity
- Empathy
- Interaction among peers
- Hours spent playing
The results, based on the above key indicators, revealed that children who spent up to one hour daily playing video games led happier lives than those who never picked up a controller. They were able to externalize feelings and emotions, whereas children who spent three hours or more on video games had a habit of internalizing their emotions.
Too little or too much of anything is going to lead to disaster. In the case of the British children, playing too many video games or no games at all has caused them to miss certain opportunities like learning social skills or being able to relax. The result is their unhappiness. Then again, it could always be some old fashion teenage angst.
