Are computer games damaging children?

Today I have started an Open University course called Childhood in the Digital Age.  The first question asked was are computer games damaging children?  Here is what I was reading today:

In the UK, more than 80% of boys and also girls play some form of computer game every day. Dr Andrew Przybylski and colleagues at the Oxford Internet Institute surveyed nearly 5,000 British boys and girls aged 10-15 years.

They found that, compared to children who played no computer games at all, those who played for around an hour a day:

• had higher levels of sociability;
• were more satisfied with their lives;
• had fewer friendship and emotional problems;
• and were less hyperactive.

Overall, research findings in this area show that moderate time spent playing computer games is a positive experience for most young people socially and academically.

Excessive use (as with all excesses) can be detrimental. This reflects a tiny percentage of computer game players, but it is often the negative research findings based on extreme usage that are most widely published in the media.

Photo Credit: rosefirerising via Compfight cc