Video games often fall on the grenade for declining grades, but does that mean too much Xbox makes you stupid? Not at all, that only proves that kids would rather play games than do their homework. The school system is what is failing us, but that’s another story for another day. Intelligence, a rather broad term, is often thrown around without regard to what the word really means. When thinking of a person with a high intelligence quotient, most people would conclude that person is a skilled math and logic problem solver. While these may be the areas of focus for traditional IQ tests, these are not the only areas of intelligence that the human mind possesses. Rather, there are a wide range of cognitive functions that make up a person’s total IQ, and many theories on how to define said functions. Intelligence can range anywhere from the more traditional: analytical problem solving, logic and reason abilities; to the more creative: linguistic, spatial, musical, kinesthetic, and emotional abilities. Certainly some video games can stimulate the mind, just as much as others can stifle it. But In this day and age, most video games have evolved past the mindless repetitive tasks in favor of a much bigger scope, and even have came to be considered works of art.
Literature, the cornerstone to a complete education, has been around for as long as man could speak, even before he/she could write. For this purpose scops were used to memorize tremendous works such as Beowulf. Eventually came the printing press that would revolutionize the world of literature, putting a book into the hands of more people than ever before. The word thus became more than a mere way to entertain and pass the time, but now the written word was a form of power. With the advance of technology came new ways to explore literature. In this digital age books are still going strong but video games prove to be an accessible and popular form to tell stories, satirize, and make philosophical conclusions on the state of the human condition. RPGs like the Final Fantasy series rely on novel worthy amounts of text, sometimes invoking invaluable, albeit cold, truths:
"My friend, do you fly away now?
To a world that abhors you and I?
All that awaits you is a somber morrow
No matter where the winds may blow."
Other times video games humorously offer up advice on life:
Zack: Yep... gotta change my plans! (walks over near Cloud) Hmmm... No matter what I do, I need some money first... Hey, wanna start a business? But what could we do? Hey, Cloud? Think there's anything I'd be good at? (turns to the driver) Hey old guy! What do you think I'd be good at?
Driver: What're you yappin' about? You're still young, ain't ya? Young folks should try everything! You gotta pay your dues while you're young. Go out and look for what you really want.
Zack: Try everything... That's easy for him to say... (does some exercising) HEY! Of course! I got a lot of brains and skills that other guys don't! That settles it! I'm gonna become a mercenary. Yeah, thanks pops!
Driver: Hey, didn't you even hear a word I said?
Zack: Listen, I'm gonna become a mercenary and that's that. Boring stuff, dangerous stuff, anything for money. I'm gonna be rich. So, Cloud. What are YOU gonna do?
Driver: No, wait... You got it all wrong.
In order to progress and learn what to do next, the player must read. (So if you are struggling to get your child to read, pick up an RPG for him/her and they will gladly read!) Furthermore, as you travel from town to town and talk to the inhabitants you can see the changes in culture, and as the world changes so does the idle talk of the townspeople. This is an educational benefit in that it forms better reading comprehension, teaches acceptance of other cultures, and develops emotional perceptions through the empathy felt in the ever changing world conditions.
Other games such as the Metal Gear Solid series nixes text and opts for vocal dialogue. Think of the game as a play, you an actor, and your character as the guise you put on throughout. The intellectual benefits are of various kinds in this game, some being logical and spatial, and others practical. Spatial intelligence comes into play when navigating the stealth friendly engineered environments; and logic when assessing the pattern of the guards to know when, how, and where to move. Metal Gear Solid 4 sets us in a world of never ending controlled battles and political turmoil. When playing the game one can see that such a future is not as farfetched as it may seem. As the game teaches us that society can deteriorate, this encourages practical intelligence in forming your ideas into effective means.
If you are more traditional in your intellectual values then there are games that test the mind through IQ test variety questions. For example Brain Challenge and Brain Age both offer analytical problem solving, logic, and memorization tests. Also, the Wii Fit improves kinesthetic ability by encouraging hand eye coordination, balance, and physical activity. Sure a video game addiction can lead to a decreased performance in school, but the same result can come from spending too much time on just one subject and not the others. The answer is simple - balance. Let your kids play video games, show them the correlation between their school work and their games, and watch them play - you may just learn something.
