It’s been a long while since I’ve played a lot of computer and video games. I must say I haven’t liked the trend towards the violent. The following article, though, seems to make the case to not worry so much. Give it a read and see what you think…

The Science of Your Brain on Games
Discover Magazine explores how games affect gameplayers' thinking patterns, and the results are good.
IGN
By Douglass C. Perry

…In a recent Discover Magazine article (July 2005, Volume 26, No. 7), James Gee, a professor of learning sciences at University of Wisconsin, suggests that gameplaying might be mentally enriching. Gee's research explores how games connect to the reward circuits of the human brain, and conveys that while gaming is indeed addictive, it builds instead of diminishes cognitive skills.

In his studies, Gee found numerous things that everyday gamers already know. Games can indeed be repetitive, dumb-witted, or they can even create tension and frustration. But he learned that most gamers aren't ruined or tainted from gameplaying. "We had a hard time finding kids who were bad at school but good at games." Instead, there are positive cognitive results from playing games. Gee's studies show that gamers learn pattern recognition from puzzles and enemies or bosses; they learn system thinking, i.e. they learn how a game is structured, or how an enemy is attacking, or how to solve logic or physical puzzles. They even learn patience. More...

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