A study conducted recently revealed that kids who spend time on Facebook or an online gaming portal playing games of their choices in their spare time gain social and interpersonal skills in addition to learning the basics of the techie stuff that they grow up to get surrounded with. In contrast to children who'd rather sit around and while away time, these kids grow up to be more constructive and of relatively sharper minds.
The study, sponsored by MacArthur foundation, negates what one may call the stereotypical approach to gaming that is seen in many educationists and parents alike; that games should not be readily available to kids because they put them off their studies and are hence harmful. The truth, says the study, is diametrically different from this approach. The study also urges parents and educationists to encourage children to play games online, as the Foundation and the researchers believe that a certain level of digital literacy can only be beneficial for the child in the long run.
Mizuko Ito, a research scientist in UC Irvine's department of informatics led the study, and when asked to comment, was of the opinion that the children who don't have access to this source of entertainment and knowledge are at a greater risk of reaching adolescence to be social outsiders, deficient in basic skills necessary to fit in today's Internet-dominated era. "There is this generational gap in thinking about the value that social networking brings," she said. This, she said, had to be addressed for the benefit of future generations.
It's not just the online games that have the youth's and the children's attention online these days. A study conducted back in 2005-2008, called the Digital Youth Project, showed that out of the 800 interviewed kids and the 5000 hours' worth of research into youth's online activity, almost everyone signed in to a social networking website at least once a day to receive friends' updates and post their own - as a way to relax and enjoy their spare time. Kids prefer checking the updates as frequently as possible, and stay connected around the clock with every friend; be it through text messaging, IM's, online conversations or mere updates. These communicating methods have in fact rendered hallway and park meetings unnecessary. Social networking websites like Facebook and MySpace, which offer a personalized setup to interact with friends, and to post updates and pictures, have therefore gained immense popularity in that age group over the last few years, with both websites gaining colossal following.
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