Many people tend to believe video games have a dangerous and damaging effect on children; however a new study found no correlation between video games and psychosocial development, Slate reported.
Researchers found no association between the time spent playing electronic games and parents reports of bad behavior. Based on the same study, they found that children watching television for more than three hours daily were more likely to develop problems in certain areas of conduct in the future compared to those who watched television for under an hour.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow surveyed 11,000 UK children who were born between 2000 and 2002 and tracked their development over several years. The survey was based on parent's reports of their children's screen time and behaviors such as inattention, negative moods and problems interacting with peers.
"Our findings do not demonstrate that interventions to reduce screen exposure will improve psychosocial adjustment. Indeed, they suggest that interventions in respect of family and child characteristics, rather than a narrow focus on screen exposure, are more likely to improve outcomes," researchers said in the study.
It's unknown whether this study will sway the opinions of those who are convinced video games are damaging to children.
A related study by YouGov found that people who believe video games are dangerous are predominately older people and people who rarely play video games.
Researchers at the University of Glasgow cast some doubt on earlier studies that have shown such links.
