A new study suggests that teenagers who regularly does online gaming actually gets better academic results. This new research held at RMIT University in Melbourne, Australia. According to this research, students who usually plays online games tend to improve their school results. It also showed that students who visit Facebook or chat sites every day are more likely to fall behind in maths, reading and science.
Scientists tested above 12,000 Australian 15-year-old students to analyze results. They also collect some data on students’ online activities.
Associate Professor Alberto Posso, from RMIT’s School of Economics, Finance, and Marketing, investigated the results of testing by the globally recognised Program for International Student Assessment.
Posso said, “Online gaming could help students to apply and sharpen skills learned at school. Students who play online games almost every day score 15 points above the average in maths and 17 points above the average in science. When you play online games you’re solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves using some of the general knowledge and skills in maths, reading and science that you’ve been taught during the day. Teachers should consider incorporating popular video games into teaching so long as they’re not violent ones.”
He then said, “Sometimes players have to understand some of the principles of chemistry even, so they really have to understand science. Some psychologists have argued that massive online player games can be beneficial to cognitive development.”
Results provide evidence students who regularly visit social sites, losing time that could be spent on the study. But it also reveals that they are struggling with maths, reading, and science and are going online to socialise instead. The students came 20 points behind in maths compared to students who never use social media.
Posso said, “Teachers might want to look at blending the use of Facebook into their classes as a way of helping those students engage.”
Thus, it is essential to know, other factors could have a large impact on teenagers’ progress. Repeating an academic year or skipping classes could be as bad or worse for scores than the high use of social media.
Posso said, “Problem will not solve by using facebook. It’s interesting that there is a very high opportunity cost of time, where we’re spending a lot of time doing something that may not necessarily be associated with performance in school.”
But time spent on social media is not just waste time academically. Recognizing students who are heavy social media users might be turning to things like Facebook. This is because they are finding their school work too difficult.
Some of the students found it easy to get their study and homework done fast. There are various factors involves. They are like gaming skills, student’s choice for spare time and their family environment.
Peter Etchells, said, “The study shows a positive correlation between online gaming and academic performance. But we actually need a better way to know why people play video games. It is essential before we able to tease apart what the correlation actually means.” (Peter Etchells is biological psychologist from Bath Spa University in the UK.)
Various researchers are trying to highlight this issue for a while. But we really need more detailed research and nuanced data to answer these sorts of questions more confidently.
“Although we might not be able to explain the link just yet, another recent research suggests gaming is good for your learning abilities, powers of memory, motor skills, and even offers promise for recovering from brain injuries. At last, we can feel good in knowing that gaming is probably doing us better than harm,” he continued.