• Question: does playing video game make you cleaver?

    Asked by trolololol to Bob, Katie, Nisha, Sallie, Vee on 27 Jun 2012.
    • Photo: Sallie Baxendale

      Sallie Baxendale answered on 27 Jun 2012:

      Really good question! Psychologists have been looking at this recently. It looks like playing some types of video games can improve some kinds of cleverness. Games where you have to navigate your way around a complicated town may help your navigation skills in real life. Also games where you have to develop strategies and solve problems may also help you do this in real life. But so far we haven’t found any evidence to suggest that games that use your memory, improve you memory in real life.

    • Photo: Bob Bonwick

      Bob Bonwick answered on 30 Jun 2012:

      Hmmm which computer game? Mindless violence… No! Problem solving or puzzle types, platform or First person type games can help you to expan your learning skills and open you up to new ideas as well as improve hand eye coordination.

    • Photo: Vee Mitchell

      Vee Mitchell answered on 3 Jul 2012:

      It depends on what you define as clever. All video games will help your hand eye co-ordination but if you want to learn something then you have to pick a game that will teach you something, be it strategy, problem solving, memory or factual information. Like anything it’s all about moderation.

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