Researchers: video games won’t make you smarter

The Miami Herald:

Video games that’ll be under millions of Christmas trees may be loads of fun.

But three researchers say you shouldn’t expect them to help kids get better grades, improve their concentration or become better drivers.

Florida State University psychologist Walter Boot said they found that earlier studies claiming cognitive benefits from video games were flawed and the results couldn’t be replicated.

He and two colleagues at Florida State and the University of Illinois published their findings in the journal Frontiers in Psychology earlier this year.

Boot, who grew up playing video games, said he hasn’t given up entirely on the potential for benefits. The evidence, though, just isn’t there yet.

He notes that research does show there is a proven way to improve brain power – exercise.

Read the whole story: The Miami Herald