Gaming, social media may help up grades, says study
Posted on: 11/Aug/2016 9:46:03 AM
A new study has said that teenagers who regularly play online video games may have improved school results while spending time on social networking sites such as Facebook could do the opposite. The study was conducted by researchers at the RMIT University in Australia. The findings were published in the International Journal of Communication.
More than 12,000 15 year olds were tested in maths, reading and science, as well as collected data on the students` online activities.
According to the researchers, School students who visit Facebook or chat sites every day are more likely to fall behind in maths, reading and science. Video games could help students to apply and sharpen skills learned at school. Students who play online games almost every day score 15 points above the average in maths and 17 points above the average in science. When you play online games you are solving puzzles to move to the next level and that involves using some of the general knowledge and skills in maths, reading and science that you have been taught during the day. Teachers should consider incorporating popular video games into teaching - so long as they are not violent ones. Teenagers who used Facebook or chat every day scored 20 points worse in maths than students who never used social media. Students who are regularly on social media are, of course, losing time that could be spent on study - but it may also indicate that they are struggling with maths, reading and science and are going online to socialise instead. Teachers should blend the use of Facebook into their classes as a way of helping those students engage.
