Study suggests girls can benefit from playing video games with their parents

By Staff Writer

New research from Brigham Young University's School of Family Life suggests that girls may benefit from playing video games with their parents. For the study, which is published in the Journal of Adolescent Health, authors surveyed 287 families with an adolescent child between 11 and 16 years old.

They found that girls who played video games with a parent behaved better, felt more connected to their families and had stronger mental health. However, the games had to be age-appropriate. Girls were more inclined to play Mario Kart, Mario Brothers, Wii Sports, Rock Band and Guitar Hero, while boys ranked Call of Duty, Wii Sports and Halo among their favorites.

Boys who played with a parent showed no statistical changes in their behavior, aggression, family connection or mental health. However, girls who played video games with a parent experienced an almost 20 percent improvement on the same outcomes.

The researchers suggest that since boys play more often with friends, game time with parents is less important. Furthermore, most girls played with their fathers, which can signify greater parental involvement in their lives.