Researchers this week are reporting that people who play shoot-'em-up video games increase their brain's ability to widen its attention span and track and comprehend many things at once.
Which is kind of like saying kids who engage in illegal gang activity tend to be more physically fit than their non-gang peers or that kids who smoke are better at lighting matches.
Sure, video games may lead to a specific side-benefit that could come in handy in combat situations, but this hardly outweighs the bad effects. And those are many.
Three years ago, the American Psychological Association published two studies that showed popular games such as "Doom" and "Mortal Kombat" make people more aggressive and, because the games are interactive, are more harmful than violent movies or television shows. The games put the player in the position of the shooter, causing him to identify with the character. While most people, even children, can differentiate between a game and real life, the studies showed that virtually all players experience at least a brief increase in aggressive tendencies after playing the games.
This is why responsible groups such as the National Institute on Media and the Family have been lobbying retailers to keep such games away from children. It's why national leaders such as Sen. Joseph Lieberman, D-Conn., have made public statements about how troubling it is that "women are the new targets of choice in the most violent games," as he recently told the Associated Press.
It's also why parents ought to closely monitor their child's computer habits and restrict the use of violent games.
The research, published in the journal Nature, found that video players are able to rapidly track many items at once. Researchers next want to study how this works with different age groups and how it affects measures of intelligence. The studies are important and could have application for the military. But they must be kept in context.
Too many American children sit in front of the computer or the television set for hours playing games. Even if the games aren't violent, the children are spending too much time sitting still and staring ahead. Common sense tells you they would be better off running around outside, using their imaginations in ways that actually fill their lungs and work their muscles. For that matter, they would be better off in front of a book, learning things about the world or other people.
Tell that to your child the next time he or she pulls out a study showing how violent video games are beneficial.