Are Video Games Good for Girls?

When most people think of video games, they think of teenage boys. The typical target for video game makers are young males with a lot of time on their hands. A new study, however, may suggest that video games are good for girls as well When played in a family setting, some games could boost girls' mental health.

Researchers at Brigham Young University's School of Family Life looked at girls ages 11 to 16 and how video games affected their lives. What they found was different from the typical game complaints of too much violence and sex. Girls in this age group seemed to be improved by playing some video games. This was especially true when they played family games with their parents.

"It's the face-to-face time, the interaction, that matters," said psychology professor Sarah Coyne, the lead author of the study. "Videogames are kind of an adolescent thing. When a parent says I'm going to sit down and do what you're going to do, that sends a different message entirely," Coyne said

The study found that girls who played age appropriate games with their parents tended to be better behaved and overall happier. This amount of gaming also helped them to built a connection to their families. The results for girls were noticeably better than for boys of the same age group, though boys tended to play more often overall.

Part of the research looked at age appropriate games that involved communication between players. More mature games fostered less communication, and as a result created less bonding. Games that involve parents and teens to play together helped girls become more connected, and as a result healthier mentally.

"The surprising part about this for me is that girls don't play video games as much as boys, " Coyne said. "But they did spend about the same amount of time co-playing with a parent as boys did."

It is little surprise that games where teens and parents play together would help create this atmosphere of bonding and communication. However, for all the bad press videos games usually get it is refreshing to see some good news from it. Parents may want to take this study as a sign to buy more video games for their daughters.

Many experts worry about girls today and how today's culture affects them. We often see reports of emotional problems stemming from the influences and messages that girls today receive. If video gaming is one way to counter these problems then more parents should get on board.

Source:
http://news.byu.edu/archive11-jan-girlvideogames.aspx