Can computer gaming make you smarter?

Pakistan
August 3, 2009 3:28pm CST
With kids, and even adult, spending as much time playing their Playstation 3, Xbox 360, or Nintendo Wii, is gaming unhealthy? Is it just a waste of time, causing people to become lazy and unmotivated or can it actually be a healthy mental development activity?
6 responses
@icehut (508)
3 Aug 09
Depends on the type of game. Puzzler games that require lateral thinking may help us to solve real world problems by thinking out of the box. However, mindless games that require simply shooting everything on screen may turn us in to
• Canada
3 Aug 09
Even most of the "mindless shooting games" are more useful than you might think... you need to come up with strategies to avoid getting killed while you are trying to shoot down other players. It might not translate directly into real life, but it does make you think and problem solve.
@icehut (508)
3 Aug 09
Like you said, strategies... Strategic games requiring thinking and are not mindless shoot 'em ups... there's a difference...
@OceanLady (136)
• Canada
3 Aug 09
I think it depends on the game. There are ups and downs to all of them. Obviously, becoming so obsessed with a game that you start giving up your real life for it isn't healthy... but a lot of games require actual skills. My gaming has helped my improve my typing, my critical thinking, and probably tons of other things I can't think of off the top of my head. As much as they are just games, they often require a certain level of skill to play, and I believe there is a use for any skill if you look hard enough.
@icehut (508)
3 Aug 09
and here's an example of an obsessive player... one who obliterated himself in pixel-land... http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4137782.stm
@kikker69 (19)
• United States
3 Aug 09
i am gamer and it not a waste of you time.you can play for money7
• India
4 Aug 09
Playing game don't make us smart,I guess so,otherwise doctors recommend it for becoming smart..just kidding don't mind it.But it will affect our mental sometime our health.I have one friend who spend lot of time in front of computer for playing game.He is smart in playing any game,but not in real life.
• Japan
4 Aug 09
hi, i think your opinion isn't very serious,i often play foreign language version games, because english or german isn't my mother tongue, i play enlish or german version games to learn foreign language, PLAY and STUDY Combined is much more effect,many years ago i played Max Payen with a lot of english dialogs and plots, successed in final examination at last.Thanks to i often play english foreign verson game, it is not hard to talk in mylot by english.^^ well, i agree with your opinion about play too much is unhealthy, especially children play game indefinitely, or addiction in online game, we make our effort to reduce their playing time, or encourage them to play more funny and educational games.
• Canada
3 Aug 09
Games can definitely be very educational, but it depends what kind of games you play. One of the best games that helps the brain a lot is called Brain Academy, where you answer questions everyday and get points in where you can compare with your friends. This is one of the popular games on the D-S, and it is very popular for lots of Baby- Boomers too. FPS games, like Call Of duty 4, are actually somewhat educational too, because it will help you stay more alert. This is because you will need a good reaction to your surroundings, and in real life this is very important to help you find something or stay away from some areas which might be unsafe. Basically any game can help you, if you make it with a balance of academic, and physical activities like sports.