Video Games Are Good For Teen Girls

Well, with caveats: they’re good for them if they play with their parents.

Sound weird? Well, according to a new study in the Journal of Adolescent Health, which studied gir;ls ages 11 to 16, girls who do just this are better-behaved and less-depressed than those who don’t play video games, or play by themselves. The same wasn’t true of boys.

As to what kind of game, the study specified “collaborative” ones, like “Rock Band” (not, say, “Carmageddon.”) And that said, we’re talking a limited amount of game-playing — not at the levels proven to have caused anxiety and depression in kids.

Honestly, I didn’t even know playing video games with parents was a thing, which shows how old I am. And I can’t help wondering if any kind of bonding — be it sports or a board game — wouldn’t have similar results. Still, as long as kids are playing, this is great news — and when it comes to rock band, probably an education in the greatest hits of Steely Dan, too.

Girls Who Play Video Games With Mom and Dad Are Better Behaved, Study Shows [ParentDish]
Girl Gamers Playing With Parents Are Better Behaved, Study Says [Bloomberg]
[Image via Shutterstock]