Kids and video games -- the two don't always have a good association, especially in some studies that suggest playing said games could make children more aggressive and interfere with schoolwork. But a new study finds that when adolescent girls play age-appropriate games with their parents there may be some benefits, such as feeling closer to family members and having better mental health.
Researchers from Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, examined questionnaires from 287 parents and their 11- to 16-year-old children who played video games. Boys (65%) outnumbered girls, and they preferred playing more aggressive games with their parents compared to girls -- Call of Duty and Halo, versus Mario Kart/Mario Brothers and Rock Band/Guitar Hero. Both genders played Wii Sports.
But girls seemed to fare better overall from spending time with their parents playing video games. For teen girls, playing age-appropriate video games with their parents was linked with lower levels of depression and anxiety and aggressive behavior. It was less strongly linked with feeling connected with parents. Playing video games that were not age-appropriate was associated with lower feelings of connection with parents and higher levels of depression and anxiety for girls.
The same findings did not hold true for boys who played age-appropriate games with their parents
