Read an article on Thursday, 9th June In Tech. Summarized points here:
Everything Bad Is Good For You
by Steven Johnson,
American pop science writer | Last Child In The Woods
by Richard Louv,
Journalist |
- Johnson observed that modern computer games require concentration, forward planning, lateral thinking and sustained problem solving, thus offering a cognitive exercise for mental development.
- Games like Sim City, Age of Empires and Civilisation provides great opportunities to see how the multitude of variables and social forces interact with each other to produce different or alternate outcomes of history.
- IQ scores are increasing relentlessly over the past few generations. Simple answer from Johnson is that kids are able train their minds to be sharper than ever before.
- An important part of intelligence is social network mapping. Shows like 24, The Sopranos, The Apprentice and Survivor have more complicated social interactions as compared to 70s and 80s shows like Dallas and The Dukes of Hazzard. For example, 24's intricate plot is enough to fire all the synapses in a child's mind. Watching The Apprentice brings about new ways to cope with real-life situations.
- Hand-eye coordination gets improved too in the process when playing videogames.
| - Louv argues that modern children are too plugged into television and videogames, thus losing their connection to their natural world.
- Television is not dumb, just that there's too much of it.
- Too much electronic media creates a problem Louv called "nature-deficit disorder" where children becomes understimulated, overstressed and disconnected. Cultural autism.
- Television and videogames does not provide the most condusive setting for leaning complex situations in the real world. Best place to learn is still in the playground.
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