Can Playing Video Games Improve a Child's IQ?

Studies and data have come a long way, but there’s still a lot to be determined when it comes down to what exactly constitutes intelligence and how, or if, it can be accurately measured.

It’s an age-old question: will your child’s IQ improve if they play video games? A May 2022 report is amongst a few that are claiming to have an answer. Let’s dive in.

The Relationship Between Games and Intelligence Is Tricky

There’s a long history of academics, parents, students, and gamers asking whether video games make us smarter, hurt our intelligence, have both effects, or have no effect. The research results have been mixed. There are a number of reasons for this.

For one thing, there are a lot of questions about what constitutes a video game. Should mobile games and console games be in the same category? What about puzzle games and shooters? Do online multiplayer games have a different impact than games played alone? Further, a person’s day includes a lot of activities and it’s very hard to isolate gaming as a single variable.

If one child likes video games and studying while another hates both, does that mean that video games contribute to intelligence? If one child is more able to play video games because their family is financially better off than that of another child, how much of the intelligence difference is from gaming, and how much is from different economic opportunities?

Game in Good Health

So, can playing video games improve a child’s IQ? The answer to every good yes-or-no question is “sort of.”

There are aspects of intelligence that video games can improve and aspects of intelligence that they can’t. Video games, like most other things in life, are healthy in moderation. But they aren’t a substitute for learning.

Raspberry Pi

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