Study Suggests Gaming May Boost IQ in Children More Than TV or Social Media
Key Takeaways
- Children who played games above average gained about 2.5 IQ points over two years
- TV and social media showed no significant impact on IQ levels
- The study controlled for parental education, income, and genetic differences
Could Gaming Help Boost Your Child's IQ?
Many parents worry that too much gaming harms their children's development, but new research suggests the opposite might be true. A study led by Karolinska Institutet in Sweden tracked more than 5,000 children aged 10 to 12 in the United States over two years. Researchers measured how much time kids spent gaming, watching TV or videos, and using social media, and also evaluated their general cognitive abilities through a series of psychological tests.
The findings revealed that children who spent above-average time gaming showed an increase of roughly 2.5 IQ points after two years. In contrast, time spent watching TV or on social media did not produce any significant positive or negative changes in IQ. Professor Torkel Klingberg, from the institute's neuroscience department, noted that while all children started with similar IQ levels at age 10, those who played games regularly demonstrated the greatest gains by the age of 12.
The research used an index built from five tasks assessing reading comprehension, vocabulary, attention, visual-spatial processing, and learning ability. After controlling for genetic differences, parental education, and income levels, the team concluded that gaming had a real, measurable impact on cognitive development. On average, children spent about two and a half hours watching videos, one hour gaming, and half an hour on social media each day, totaling around four hours of screen time. The top 25% of screen users consumed roughly six hours daily.
Although the study supports the idea that gaming can positively affect intelligence, the researchers caution that their findings aren't a blanket endorsement for unlimited gaming. They did not evaluate the types of games played, nor did they consider other important factors such as sleep quality and mental health. Future research will explore how environmental influences shape childhood brain development.
For parents still concerned about screen time, these results may offer some reassurance: moderate gaming might actually help children develop stronger cognitive skills.
