In a study due for publication next year in the journal Computers in Human Behaviour, researchers have found that playing video games was linked to greater creativity, regardless of the type of game played.
Linda Jackson, the professor of psychology who led the research at Michigan State University, in the United States, said that "video games can be designed to optimize the development of creativity while retaining their entertainment values such that a new generation of video games will blur the distinction between education and entertainment"
The effect appears to apply only to the playing of computer games, regardless of the type of game played: general computer use and non-gaming use of mobile phones and the internet do not lead to increased creativity, the researchers found. "We are the first to look at creativity and technology use, finding that no other technologies except video games was positively related to creativity," Jackson added.
The Michigan State researchers also found that children who play video games have better 'visual-spatial' skills.
Meanwhile, addressing President Barack Obama's Council on Jobs and Competitiveness, Facebook's Chief Operating Officer Sheryl Sandberg advocated the use of video games in encouraging girls into STEM careers:
"We have to focus on our education system," said Facebook's Sheryl Sandberg. "We're falling behind in every way possible." Sandberg talked about what can be done to get more women in particular into high-tech jobs, such as giving girls more time with computers from an early age. "Let your daughters play video games," she told an audience comprised of educators, entrepreneurs and investors.