New research suggests gaming may boost children's cognitive skills but raises concerns over attention issues

A recent study challenges the notion that video games dull children’s minds, indicating potential cognitive benefits alongside risks, prompting calls for balanced gaming habits.

For years, parents have been warned that video games might dull children’s minds. A study published in JAMA Network Open suggests the picture is more complicated. Researchers found that children who spent at least three hours a day gaming performed better on tests of impulse control and working memory than those who did not play at all.

The analysis drew on data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development study, a large long-term project tracking children in the United States. According to the study, the sample included roughly 2,000 children aged nine and 10, and the findings pointed to stronger performance among frequent players on tasks that required them to stop a response at the right moment and hold information in mind.

Brain scans added another layer to the results. The National Institutes of Health said gamers showed higher activity in regions linked to attention and memory, while some visual areas were less active, which may suggest more efficient processing. The researchers said the pattern is consistent with the idea that gaming could train some executive functions, a term used for skills such as attention, self-control and managing distractions.

But the authors were careful not to overstate the case. Because the study was observational, it can show an association, not prove that gaming caused the difference. Bader Chaarani of the University of Vermont said the team could not tell whether playing video games led to better neurocognitive performance or whether children with stronger skills were simply more likely to play. The study also found that heavier gamers had somewhat higher scores for attention problems, depression and ADHD symptoms, although not at clinical levels.

The broader message for parents is less about banning games than about balance. The American Academy of Pediatrics advises limits on screen time, and other research suggests that sleep and physical activity matter just as much as the amount of time spent in front of a screen. The new findings add to growing evidence that video games may have both risks and benefits, depending on how, how long and in what context children play.