Online games good for teenagers
Teenagers who regularly play online multiplayer games could be benefiting from personal development that does not occur in the ‘real’ world, according to a new study. Researchers at Brunel University in London conducted a three-year experiment where they examined the impact of the popular online game Runescape on teenagers aged between 13 and 16.
They found that the game allowed players to try out different identities and find out more about other cultures, races and classes than they would through everyday physical interaction with the people around them.
Some enterprising youngsters were found to capitalise on opportunities in the online world by making business deals and engaging in related activities unavailable to them elsewhere.
‘At a time when emerging technologies such as the internet – and computer games in particular – continue to be subject to suspicion and concern, it is important that we also recognise the benefits of what is an increasingly popular and important activity for our young people,’ commented Dr Simon Bradford, one of the researchers behind the study.
A number of video games have been in the media spotlight lately due to their controversial content, with last month seeing the British Board of Film Classification choose to reject the rating of action game of Manhunt 2 for release in the UK.
