Study finds videogames can boost “effective parenting”
Parents who engage with their children at play in videogames are better placed to develop lasting bonds – according to new university research.
Goldsmiths University together with PopCap, a gaming firm, spoke to 3,000 parents and found that four in five described playing computer games with their children as “quality time” with a third doing so every day.
This trend was evidenced in children as young as two who now regularly borrow their parent’s smartphone or tablet devices to play casual games.
Dr Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, Reader in Psychology at Goldsmiths, said: “In the era of social networking games appear to play a vital role in enhancing social relationships.
"The fact that both parents and grandparents are using games to connect with their children and grandchildren, and quite successfully, suggests that video games can improve social skills and make a key contribution to both effective parenting and child development."