{"id":5073,"date":"2011-12-21T07:27:47","date_gmt":"2011-12-21T00:27:47","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/?p=5073"},"modified":"2011-12-22T23:58:10","modified_gmt":"2011-12-22T16:58:10","slug":"are-video-games-good-for-girls","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/are-video-games-good-for-girls\/","title":{"rendered":"Are Video Games Good for Girls?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><span style=\"color: #888888;\">By Lori Cunningham<\/span><br \/>\n<!-- BEGIN BHBadge --><\/p>\n<div id=\"bhbadge_Featured\" class=\"bhbadge\" style=\"display: inline;\"><a href=\"http:\/\/www.blogher.com?from=bhfbadge\" target=\"_blank\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" title=\"Featured on BlogHer.com\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/www.blogher.com\/files\/edbadge_Featured.jpg?resize=120%2C100\" alt=\"Featured on BlogHer.com\" width=\"120\" height=\"100\" border=\"0\" \/><\/a><\/div>\n<p><!-- END BHBadge --><\/p>\n<p>In November, I was invited to attend a summit held in Los Angeles called Games for Girls, hosted by <a href=\"http:\/\/www.activision.com\/atvihub\/games\/game.do?gameId=Squinkies2&amp;brandId=Squinkies\" target=\"_blank\">Activision<\/a>. \u00a0As a recreational gamer myself, I was excited to attend. \u00a0I grew up in the Atari and Intellivision gaming days. \u00a0The graphics were crude but a whole new world had opened up&#8230;and I was hooked. \u00a0Today, I&#8217;m still a gamer and now a\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/2011\/11\/27\/visit-to-playstation-headquarters\/\" target=\"_blank\">PlayStation Family Ambassador<\/a> and I love that both of my kids like a healthy dose of video games too.<\/p>\n<p>Here&#8217;s an overview of what I learned at the Summit:<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Gaming Stats<a href=\"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/2011\/12\/21\/are-video-games-good-for-girls\/activisions-games-for-girls-summit-suzanne-kantra-techlicious-400\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5485\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5485\" title=\"Activision's Games for Girls Summit - Suzanne Kantra - Techlicious-400\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/Activisions-Games-for-Girls-Summit-Suzanne-Kantra-Techlicious-400.jpg?resize=400%2C300&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"400\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/Activisions-Games-for-Girls-Summit-Suzanne-Kantra-Techlicious-400.jpg?w=400&amp;ssl=1 400w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/Activisions-Games-for-Girls-Summit-Suzanne-Kantra-Techlicious-400.jpg?resize=300%2C225&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 400px) 100vw, 400px\" \/><\/a><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Suzanne Kantra, of <a href=\"http:\/\/www.techlicious.com\/\" target=\"_blank\">Techlicious<\/a> (one of my fave websites), started off the morning with some very\u00a0interesting\u00a0statistics about video games and kids:<\/p>\n<p><strong>\u00a0\u00a0Who&#8217;s Playing Games?\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>over 90% of kids ages 2-17 play games in the US\u00a0(<a href=\"https:\/\/www.npd.com\/wps\/portal\/npd\/us\/news\/pressreleases\/pr_111011\" target=\"_blank\">NPD study<\/a>)<\/li>\n<li>There are 65.1 MM gamer households in the US (2010 A&amp;U Study)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul>\n<li>53 MM classify themselves as consistent gamers<\/li>\n<li>10.3 MM have kids ages 8-12 that play: 40% females<\/li>\n<li>9.2 MM have kids age 13-17 that play games<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"size-full wp-image-5470 aligncenter\" title=\"MH900442224\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900442224.jpg?resize=325%2C325&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900442224.jpg?w=325&amp;ssl=1 325w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900442224.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900442224.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><\/p>\n<h2><strong><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Why are Games Good for Girls?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>According to\u00a0Jane McGonigal\u00a0 in her book, &#8220;<a href=\"http:\/\/realityisbroken.org\/\" target=\"_blank\">Reality is Broken<\/a>,&#8221; games provide four ingredients that make for a happy meaningful life:<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>\u00a0Satisfying work &#8211; something we enjoy<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Real hope for success &#8211; good chance you can win<\/li>\n<li>\u00a0Strong social connections<\/li>\n<li>A chance to become a part of something bigger than ourselves<img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5467\" style=\"border-style: initial; border-color: initial;\" title=\"MH900426638\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900426638.jpg?resize=325%2C325&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900426638.jpg?w=325&amp;ssl=1 325w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900426638.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900426638.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Video games provide intrinsic rewards &#8211; they&#8217;re fun and make us happy.<\/p>\n<p>Brigham Young University&#8217;s School of<a href=\"http:\/\/news.byu.edu\/archive11-jan-girlvideogames.aspx\" target=\"_blank\"> Family Life study<\/a> (Feb. 2011) \u00a0found girls who play video games with a parent enjoyed a number of\u00a0advantages&#8230;they:<\/p>\n<div>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>\u00a0feel more connected to their families<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>have stronger mental health<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>behave better<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Physical Rewards of Gaming<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n<p>Studies by the Office of Naval Research and the U of Michigan show video games provide:<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>faster reaction times<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>increased hand-eye coordination and manual dexterity<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>increased spatial skills<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>allow us to process information faster<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>gives us the ability to divide and switch attention, pay attention to more than one object\/person &#8211; we all multi-task &#8211; games help to give us practice<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div><strong>Mental Rewards of Gaming<\/strong><\/div>\n<p><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5472\" title=\"MH900439546\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439546.jpg?resize=325%2C325&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439546.jpg?w=325&amp;ssl=1 325w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439546.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439546.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>children who play video games are more creative (2011 study)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Video games encourage us to think out of the box. \u00a0&#8220;It is the way video games defy\/ignore reality that opens doors in the children&#8217;s minds saying it could be otherwise.&#8221; &#8211; Linda Jackson, professor of psychology at Michigan State.\u00a0 We grow up and learn about boxes and stay in them.\u00a0 Kids don&#8217;t know anything about these boxes and can thing so much broader.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>People feel productive when playing video games, you feel like you&#8217;re getting something done.\u00a0 You have a clear goal.\u00a0 It is nice to have some things that are predictable and more controllable.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>It&#8217;s great to see cause and effect for kids &#8211; they happen in a predictable way.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>You become more resilient in the face of failure &#8211; gamers spend 80% of their time failing &#8211; makes them more resilient to real world failure.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>Improves fundamental abilities to reason and problem solve in novel contexts<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>kids are more likely to buy a guitar and learn how to play after having practiced with their virtual guitar in games.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>In every level, they are presented with a new challenge.\u00a0 This becomes the norm.\u00a0 Helps prepare them better for school.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>People who play video games processes information faster.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>What Kids Use to Play Games (Kidsay Trend Tracker 2010)<\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0 &#8211; 45% of all kids 8-15 plays games on DS<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0 &#8211; 37% of all kids 8-15 play games on their iTouch<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>\u00a0\u00a0 &#8211; 37% play games most often on the Internet<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Resources to Guide Your Gaming Girl<\/span><\/h2>\n<p><strong>Limiting Screen Time<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than 1-2 hours of screen time for children older than 2<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li>June 2010 University of California study:\u00a0\u00a0Children who have clear rules about television viewing time are less likely to exceed recommended screen time limits<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/2011\/12\/21\/are-video-games-good-for-girls\/mh900439525\/\" rel=\"attachment wp-att-5473\"><img data-recalc-dims=\"1\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-5473\" title=\"MH900439525\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439525.jpg?resize=325%2C325&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"\" width=\"325\" height=\"325\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439525.jpg?w=325&amp;ssl=1 325w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439525.jpg?resize=150%2C150&amp;ssl=1 150w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/MH900439525.jpg?resize=300%2C300&amp;ssl=1 300w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 325px) 100vw, 325px\" \/><\/a><strong>Helping You Pick Good Games for Your Kids<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>Common Sense Media<\/strong> &#8211; <a href=\"http:\/\/commonsensemedia.org\/game-reviews\" target=\"_blank\">commonsensemedia.org\/game-reviews<\/a>\u00a0\u00a0They have ratings &#8211; positive role models, violence, blatant consumerism, the\u00a0evaluate\u00a0all these things &#8211; Common Sense Media<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<ul type=\"disc\">\n<li><strong>ESRB (Entertainment Software Ratings Board)<\/strong> <a href=\"http:\/\/esrb.org\" target=\"_blank\">esrb.org<\/a>, iPhone, and Android app<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>It&#8217;s good for kids to know the rating system so when they go to a friends house they know what is appropriate and what is not.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>In our next article, we will cover Activision&#8217;s recommended games for girls available on the Nintendo DS.<\/p>\n<h2><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><\/h2>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>** Images courtesy of\u00a0<a href=\"http:\/\/office.microsoft.com\/\">http:\/\/office.microsoft.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Lori Cunningham In November, I was invited to attend a summit held in Los Angeles called Games for Girls, hosted by Activision. \u00a0As a recreational gamer myself, I was excited to attend. \u00a0I grew up in the Atari and Intellivision gaming days. \u00a0The graphics were crude but a whole new world had opened up&#8230;and [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5485,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[698,13,14],"tags":[574,997,998,334],"class_list":["post-5073","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-games-2","category-kids","category-moms","tag-activision","tag-games-for-girls","tag-girls-video-games","tag-video-games","entry"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/p-content\/themes\/atahualpa342\/images\/articles\/2011\/12\/Activisions-Games-for-Girls-Summit-Suzanne-Kantra-Techlicious-400.jpg?fit=400%2C300&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5073"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5073\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5485"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5073"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5073"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wellconnectedmom.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5073"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}