EU Says Video Games Good For Kids

A new EU report says video games are goods for kids, teaching them essential life skills and innovative thinking.

The common wisdom is that it’s not a good thing for kids to spend hours playing video games, as so many of them do, and many believe the game desensitize them to and even promote violence. But a new report presented to the European Parliament challenges that view, according to the Guardian.

Instead, says the report drafted by Dutch MEP Toine Manders, "video games can stimulate learning of facts and skills such as strategic thinking, creativity, cooperation and innovative thinking, which are important skills in the information society," adding that "video games are in most cases not dangerous. We heard evidence from experts on computer games and psychologists from France, the US, Germany and the Netherlands and they told us that video games have a positive contribution to make to the education of minors."

The report even suggests schools use game for educational purposes. It all comes as a slight contrast to what the European parliament has previously said, wanting stricter age controls on games to prevent children buying adult games, and a better enforcement of the age-rating system currently in use.

It has admitted that "violence in video games can in certain situations stimulate violent behavior," but hasn’t seen the need for European legislation.

Gaming is big business – last year in the UK, video games outsold music and DVDs, and the total gaming market was worth around $10 billion.