Family Gaming Plays A Positive Role
August 29th 2007 12:40
Casual games like solitaire are not only fun, but help the mind, body and soul. In a recent worldwide survey, games also help bond parents and grandparents with their spouses more closely.
Parents can rest assured that they too can get involved in playing games with their kids, since most casual games are appropriate for most ages.
"This universal appeal, and the 'G-rated' content of the games, makes them a great activity in which the whole family can participate… enjoying the interaction with other family members.” said New York-based Psychologist Dr. Carl Arinoldov.
A survey set out by PopCap Games asked parents and grandparents what are the positive effects of casual games like solitaire or bejeweled. The most popular answer was improving hand-eye coordination and learning patterns.
Professor Mark Griffiths from Nottingham Trent University said playing games on the computer can improve people’s mental side.
“In the right context, computer- and videogames can have a positive educational, psychological and therapeutic benefit to a large range of different ages and sub-groups."
Apparently, most casual games contain co-op modes than one-on-ones. With 88% of respondents playing co-operatively with their kids while 12% of games played are competitive.
"Casual games seem to promote more of a cooperative 'let's work on this together' type of atmosphere, as opposed to an aggressive, interpersonal competitive environment," observed Dr. Arinoldo.
Other ways casual games help improve are mental workouts, memory strengthening, stress release and confidence.
Encouraging kids to play games with parents through casual games is a great way of improving the image of video games and show concerned parents that every game isn’t just another Grand Theft Auto clone.
Sourced from PALGN.
Image from Kotaku.
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Comment by Dani
I have played games since I was 4 years old and I am in tip-top social, work and gaming condition!