Happy Monday!

I recently joined SmartyPal because I believe in the power of video games for teaching and learning.  In general, people seem wary of the idea that playing is learning (yet evidence increasingly supports that it is).  

The idea that playing with video games could be beneficial faces the same wariness along with a certain fear about how technology influences children.  Yet there is ample evidence that playing video games can have many of the benefits of non-electronic play (e.g., this article outlining the research).  Most importantly, as technology improves and people come up with novel ways to use that technology, many concerns can be designed around.  For example, games like Pokémon GO have shown some possibilities in creating apps that get kids to be more active while playing.

The bottom line is that video games are just like foods.  There are some that are good for you to eat, some that are really bad for you to eat, and some that are ok for you to eat occasionally.  If someone said “food is bad for you” it would not make a lot of sense.  Similar blanket statements about video games also miss the mark.

All the best,

Dr. Brian