speech on benefits of video games

Groundbreaking new study says time spent playing video games can be good for your well being

With the UK in a second national lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic and Christmas on the horizon, many will stay indoors to play and socially connect through video games. New research from Oxford University has delivered a surprising finding; time spent playing games is positively associated with well-being.

The new study is the first of its kind. Rather than asking players how much they play, it uses industry data on actual play time for popular video games Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New Horizons. The study suggests that experiences of competence and social connection with others through play may contribute to people’s well-being. Indeed, those who derived enjoyment from playing were more likely to report experiencing positive well-being.

These experiences during play may be even more important than the actual amount of time a player invests in games and could play a major role in the well-being of players.

Professor Andrew Przybylski , Director of Research at the Oxford Internet Institute , University of Oxford, and lead-author of the study, says, 'Previous research has relied mainly on self-report surveys to study the relationship between play and well-being. Without objective data from games companies, those proposing advice to parents or policymakers have done so without the benefit of a robust evidence base.

'Our findings show video games aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there are other psychological factors which have a significant effect on a persons’ well-being. In fact, play can be an activity that relates positively to people’s mental health – and regulating video games could withhold those benefits from players.

'Working with Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America we’ve been able to combine academic and industry expertise. Through access to data on peoples’ playing time, for the first time we’ve been able to investigate the relation between actual game play behaviour and subjective well-being, enabling us to deliver a template for crafting high-quality evidence to support health policymakers.'

Our findings show video games aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there are other psychological factors which have a significant effect on a persons’ well-being

The study explored the association between objective game time and well-being, examining the link between directly measured behaviour and subjective mental health. It also explored the roles of player experiences, specifically how feelings of autonomy, relatedness, competence, enjoyment and feeling pressured to play related to well-being.

In their study, the Oxford researchers looked at patterns of player behaviour for two popular video games. More than 3,270 players were asked to complete a survey designed by the researchers to measure well-being, self-reported play, and motivational experiences during play. The survey findings were combined with objective behavioural data for the survey participants, collected by the video game companies.

 Key findings include:

• Actual amount of time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor in people’s well-being

• A player’s subjective experiences during play might be a bigger factor for well-being than mere play time.

• Players experiencing genuine enjoyment from the games experience more positive well-being

• Findings align with past research suggesting people whose psychological needs weren’t being met in the ‘real world’ might report negative well-being from play.

See an extended interview with Professor Przybylski here.  

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Why playing video games can be good for you

How Video Games Can Be a Healthy COVID Escape

This article was originally published on the International Arts + Mind Lab blog as part of the COVID-19 NeuroArts Field Guide . 

In the middle of lockdown, I was on an island fishing with my girlfriend. After selling our catch at the local store, we took an impromptu date to the museum and aquarium, admiring their collections. And, seeing as we were the only ones there (save for one sleepy museum attendant), we snapped an endless stream of photos to commemorate our pandemic date night experience.

I should note that throughout our adventures, we were still maintaining social distance. We hadn’t even left our home, hunkered down on our living room couch, while our virtual avatars ran about freely in the game Animal Crossing: New Horizons.

Given the physical distancing requirements posed during quarantine, it comes as no surprise that  games like Animal Crossing have exploded in popularity . Even before the pandemic, video games were a  staple of entertainment for many households ; more than 214 million Americans say they play for one hour or more each week and 75% of households have at least one person who plays. The stereotype that gaming is the sole purview of adolescent boys no longer holds:  the average age of gamers is actually 35 – 44 and 41% of gamers are women .

Video games are a unique art form  that allows for a whole new level of immersion and interaction in storytelling. The design of a game – including its graphics, animation, character development, soundscape – incorporates many of the creative elements of other art forms. And like other arts, video games can open up another outlet for human expression and escape.

As surging COVID-19 cases limit holiday travel and winter in the northern hemisphere forces people indoors, video games offer a safe way to explore different worlds and meet up with friends – while providing many social, emotional, cognitive, and physical benefits to boot.

Playing Video Games Can Provide Real-Life Power-Ups

Each weekend, my friends and I get together to outwit each other aboard a spaceship in the game Among Us, which has  also caught on like wildfire during the pandemic . (It has become so popular that Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez recently streamed herself playing Among Us to get out the vote for the 2020 election.)

Among Us is a game of social deduction, like Mafia or Secret Hitler, where innocent crew members need to identify imposters while completing tasks to maintain the ship. The game also provides a chance to catch up with one another and meet friends of friends. In lieu of face-to-face outings, Among Us is probably where I get most of my social interaction each week.

Games that include these social components have been found to have  positive benefits on psychological wellbeing  by providing a virtual space to “ hang out ” with real-life friends or make online ones, leading to greater closeness and intimacy . These social games may also foster more prosocial behavior. Research has found that cooperative games, like Overcooked  or  Portal 2 , could promote more empathy and cooperative behavior outside the game for both children  and  adults .

Video games can also  promote emotional regulation , which is handy during These Unprecedented Times.  One study  found that regular gamers better managed their emotions and were less emotionally reactive than irregular gamers.  Another study  found that frequent gaming was positively associated with relaxation and coping. This may be because people tend to use video games to  recover from stressful situations  and negative emotions: simply put, games are fun and contribute to  positive emotions and emotional stability . But in addition, games can  teach adaptive strategies through storytelling or problem-solving that the player can apply to the real world. And, more directly to our pandemic predicament, a recent pre-print study  that has not yet undergone peer review from Oxford reported that playing more video games is, on average, improved mental wellbeing.

Gaming has  cognitive benefits  as well. Video games are engaging and interactive by design, often incentivizing players to work towards meaningful goals, learn from failure, and accomplish challenging tasks.  Numerous studies  have found that “action” video games (like Halo or Call of Duty) may enhance the ability to learn new skills by improving focus and task prioritization. These games are also linked to  lasting improvements in spatial skills , even after only a relatively short amount of playtime. Gaming, in general, also improves  mental processing speed, reaction times, and memory , suggesting that gameplay changes the brain.  One study  found that playing the classic game, Super Mario, a mere 30 minutes a day was correlated to increased grey matter in brain areas crucial for spatial navigation, strategy planning, working memory, and movement.

Finally, games help us get moving. Video games that incorporate movement (active games or “exergames”) like Wii Fit or Just Dance can help keep us physically fit in the safety of our own homes. One meta-analysis of 100 studies found that  active video games improved physical activity ; playing these games regularly can  significantly improve physical health outcomes  like balance, flexibility, muscle strength, and heart rate. In addition, compared with traditional exercise, exergames are significantly  more enjoyable  which may  help people stick with it  over the long-run. And because physical health is interrelated to mental health,  exergames can alleviate psychological conditions , such as depression.

As with other activities, moderation is key. If played  obsessively , games tend to have a detrimental effect. Indeed, “moderate gamers” have  better mental health and psychosocial functioning  compared to non-gamers or those who game  in excess  to the detriment of other areas in one’s life, such as relationships, school, work, and sleep.

Video games are obviously not the end-all solution to getting through the challenges of the pandemic. But, along with other creative activities (like  dancing ,  baking and gardening ), a bit of gaming can provide you the 1-Up you need.

How to Get Your Game On

The variety and number of games on the market today can be overwhelming, but the good news is that there is something out there for everyone.  Here are some games that can help you get started:

Creativity Games

• Animal Crossing: New Horizons  lets you make a digital island your own and visit those of your friends’.
• Minecraft  is a genre-defining game that allows you to survive and build your world, one block at a time.
• The Sims 4 is a life simulator and home builder that allows you to live your best (or worst) life – without the real-world consequences.

Drawing Games

• Jackbox Games offer a fun-pack of competitive and cooperative party games with friends for even the casual gamer. Play Drawful to draw ridiculous prompts, trivia games, or Pictionary all from your smartphone or tablet.
• Other Pictionary-like games are free and easy to join online like  Drawize  and  Skribbl .

Music Games

• Audiosurf  lets you race to your own music while  Beat Saber  has you slice through blocks to the beat of the song.

Writing Games

• Kind Words  allows you to write (and receive) letters of encouragement and kindness to people around the world (and provides a relaxing soundtrack to listen to while you do so).

Social Deduction Games

• Among Us  offers a multiplayer game for hours of teamwork, betrayal, and fun. Available for free on your smartphone or for $4.99 on your laptop.
• Codenames Online  allows you and your friends a virtual version of the board game classic.  Strategize how to best communicate your secret words to your teammates while keeping your opponents in the dark.

Exercise and Movement Games

• Just Dance, Wii Fit, or Ring Fit combine interactive elements like music, virtual coaches, and high scores to make working out more fun.
• Games like  Pokémon Go  or  Zombies, Run  add an augmented reality gaming component to encourage physical activity in the outside world while catching critters or escaping from zombies, respectively.

Other recommendations

• Best beginner-friendly video games for your coronavirus lockdown  (Mashable)
• So you want to be a gamer. Here’s how you can start.  (Washington Post)
• Video Games to Relax  (New York Times)
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Video games are transforming how we communicate with each other - and they could fix a range of other global issues too

Video games can bring people together and cross cultural divides Image:  REUTERS/Ammar Awad

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Unlike most other entertainment platforms, video games can connect people of all backgrounds and beliefs. When people engage in play of any kind, they are asked to take on a perspective that might be unfamiliar to them. Video games now provide the platform for this authentic, collaborative play that broadens perspectives and builds new communities by connecting people who may otherwise have never met.

Today, the average gamer has been playing for 14 years. They have grown up with the industry and evolved alongside it. Just as video games have become richer, fuller and more well-rounded, so too have the communities that play them and those communities are only becoming more inclusive and accessible.

The current video game audience is largely split down the middle when it comes to men and women (54% vs 46%) . In the US, it covers all political viewpoints and includes Democrats (37%), Republicans (33%), independents (18%) and others (12%) . They like different sorts of games but also find they have genres in common, and they regularly play with (and against) people from other countries who might not even speak their native language. These new connections increasingly allow players to put themselves in the shoes of others, helping to foster greater sympathy and compassion.

All of this subtly lays the framework for players to recognize that even if people are miles apart on the political or geographical scale, they have more in common with each other than is immediately apparent. Knowing that helps to build empathy, which is the first step in bridging the gaps that separate us.

Games possess more than just the power to connect us emotionally. Today, some 63% of adult players play with others , often in squads that get together both online or in person. Brought together by servers and matchmaking algorithms, these strangers quickly learn how to work together to achieve a common goal.

This one mechanic has led to an explosion in the popularity of esports, creating new social elements and opportunities to participate in video game culture. Players in teams of all genders, ages, nationalities and abilities come together to compete for a shared victory, helping engender empathy and compassion for their teammates, while growing communication skills and connections. Esports also builds a community of fans who gather online to watch and discuss tournaments or those who attend in person, often traveling long distances to sit in the stands with strangers, bonding over their shared fandom for teams or players.

Have you read?

This video game helps sixth graders learn and collaborate  , this video game world shows a dystopian future where we fail to stop climate change.

Video games – increasingly through VR and AR technologies – are also an equalizer for people with varying physical abilities. These are only a few examples of the innovation the industry has driven:

• A 2008 study found that one out of five casual video game players had a physical impairment of some sort. Advocacy groups, like AbleGamers , a non-profit that helps players with disabilities better enjoy gaming, has worked with developers and publishers to create modified controllers and special technology to assist people with accessibility issues;
• For its part, Microsoft launched the Xbox Adaptive Controller in 2018, helping people with limited mobility play games on that system;
• Sony released a PS4 system update in 2015 that included text-to-speech, button remapping and a larger font. The Tobii eye-tracking peripheral lets people control on-screen action through eye movements.

All of these developments have allowed more people to play more games however they need to; the community is expanding in all directions.

This ability of video games to connect and build community enables them to be a larger force for social good. Lual Mayen, a South Sudanese refugee who grew up in war-torn parts of that country, is now a video game developer and CEO of Junub Games in the US. He uses his life experiences to make games that focus on peace-building and conflict resolution. His latest game is Salaam , where players live the life of a refugee, avoiding bombs, finding water and searching out energy points, as they journey from a warzone to a peaceful life. On top of all that, any money players spend in the game benefits actual refugees thanks to Junub's partnerships with charity organizations.

Games for Change is actively developing a community around games from an industry perspective. For more than 17 years, the not-for-profit has been building a community of practice around the premise that games as a medium can be a powerful driver for social change. Games for Change supports game creators and social innovators to improve their communities and learn through gameplay, hosting events like the XR Brain Jam , a hackathon that pairs researchers and game developers to create new applications for health. The annual Games for Change Festival includes a focus on health and wellness, various civic and social issues and games for learning. It brings together practitioners from diverse fields such as technology, media, government, academia, research and education who want to use this medium to make the world a better place.

The Games for Change Student Challenge teaches students how to design games that are rooted in social issues, promoting the acquisition of 21st-century skills – especially empathy, collaboration, creativity and communication – and empowers youth to become socially conscious, digital storytellers. When young people are cast in the role of designers, games arguably become one of the most influential storytelling mediums for youth. Giving young people the opportunity to express themselves through games helps them become “macro-minded citizens” with increased “empathy and understanding of diversity.”

These soft, cognitive skills help to better prepare these young players for healing the schisms that have arisen in this increasingly fragmented world. They build communities among players and fans, bringing together people from disparate cultures, beliefs and ages, who learn that – despite their differences – they still have a lot in common.

In an age that often feels more divided than ever, video games are enabling us to connect with others in new ways that feel familiar, while providing a path forward to reimagine the intersection of play, the power of communities and the significance of social impact.

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How do video games provide effective learning, how do video games provide effective learning.

There are five broadly defined prerequisites for effective learning: meaningful context, authenticity, motivation, freedom to make mistakes, and learner autonomy. Cambridge English teaching and learning materials harness the power of meaningful context and authenticity by presenting new language in a way that creates a genuine need to interact and communicate. And, as all teachers would attest, learners are most successful when they are motivated, free to learn from their mistakes, and take ownership of their own learning process.

So what do video games have to do with this? Well, in addition to the known benefits of games , video games support each of the building blocks of effective learning by providing:

• a strong and engaging narrative (context)
• purposeful interactions (authenticity)
• emotional engagement (motivation)
• freedom to fail (mistakes)
• opportunities for independent decision making (learner autonomy).

Context – A strong narrative

Context is the glue that helps us connect new information to what we already know about the world. This is why when we learn a language, we cover a series of topics like family, hobbies or holidays, instead of learning all of the words in the order that they appear in a dictionary starting with A and ending with Z. Without appropriate context, new information has nothing to attach itself to in our brain and becomes almost impossible to remember.

Video games set excellent context by providing a strong and engaging narrative, a story. Humans are wired to connect with stories. A strong narrative is compelling because it triggers an emotional response, which in turn makes it memorable. That’s why storytelling is such a powerful tool in marketing, politics, business and media. When teaching young learners, storytelling is vital: children rely on episodic memory much more than adults – remembering concrete facts and events they experienced that are linked together in learning.

Video games in general, and Adventures in English with Cambridge in particular, provide a strong and engaging narrative in which the player is intrinsically motivated to participate. How could they not be when they’re placed in the centre as the main protagonist? ‘Someone’s destroying my library, help me!’ pleads Lilac, ‘The stories need fixing, too!’

Authenticity – Purposeful interactions

We all know that being able to use the second language (L2) is more important than knowing facts about it. How often would you have to explain to a waiter in a foreign country which part of speech you are about to use when ordering a cup of coffee? Never – what matters is communication and meaning! ‘I’d like a cup of coffee, please,’ when sitting down at a table in a café. You wouldn’t expect the waiter to then reply, ‘Well done, that was the correct use of “would”!’ This is because in real life, we speak or write or read or listen when we have a need or a reason to do so – we call this ‘intrinsic motivation’.

Video games provide similar intrinsic motivation to communicate in a meaningful context. In our language-learning experience in Adventures in English with Cambridge , for example, the player will interact with Lilac, a fairy librarian in a giant library. ‘I’m thirsty! Can you bring me a hot drink?’ Lilac asks. To fulfil her request, the player will not need to complete a classroom-like vocabulary task. Instead, by exploring the beautiful library, the player will find a fully functional vending machine. Just like in real life, ‘milkshake’, ‘juice’ and ‘lemonade’ will be available for purchase, but the player will only hear the librarian say, ‘Ah, finally! It was delicious, thank you!’ when they bring her back a cup of coffee, rewarding the player with some more authentic language used in context.

Motivation – Emotional engagement

There’s a direct link between learner motivation and learning outcomes in and outside the classroom. Engaged learners are focused and curious, and generally do better than those who are disinterested or distracted. Video games are very good at leveraging the story, the challenges and the rewards within the game to trigger emotional response which is directly linked to motivation.

Inside our game in Minecraft, learners are motivated to solve the language puzzles because it ensures their progress within the game. They’re encouraged to persevere in their learning, both by the environment and the characters they meet. Players can choose which parts to pay most attention to, but they can’t avoid it. The language is built into the interactions within the game. To progress, players have no choice but to communicate … in English!

Mistakes help you learn – Freedom to fail

It might seem counter-intuitive, but when learning a language, mistakes can be beneficial when learners are given an opportunity to notice and reflect on them in a safe environment. Video games are excellent at providing plenty of safe opportunities to practise. In our Minecraft game, for example, players are free to wander off the wrong way or spell a word wrong. Instead of losing marks or progress, each mistake will result in more language input, to nudge learners towards the solution. This freedom to fail in video games is key to uninhibited language practice and is fundamental to our Adventures in English with Cambridge.

Autonomy – Independent decision making

Finally, in all kinds of teaching contexts, learner autonomy is another pillar of success. The more engaged the learner is in their own learning process, the more fruitful the results. In language-learning classrooms, learners are encouraged to develop study skills alongside listening, writing, speaking and reading – keeping consistent vocabulary notes, drawing mind maps, developing strategies for exam taking, listening and expeditious reading, to name just a few.

In video games, the process of becoming an independent decision maker is naturally fostered through the nature of the task in hand: the player has to discover ways out of tricky situations, frequently coming back to the starting point and starting all over again in order to progress within the game. In doing so, the players not only develop their sense of curiosity, but also perseverance, problem-solving skills and confidence, the usefulness of which stretches back to the classroom and beyond.

Explore our Minecraft world

Adventures in English with Cambridge is our exciting new world created by world-leading English assessment experts in collaboration with Minecraft. Inspire your young learners to develop their English skills beyond the classroom in a way they will never forget.

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10 good benefits of playing video games

Nothing has been as contested whether they’re beneficial or not as much as video games. Ever since they’ve been invented, video games have always been under fire for allegedly corrupting the kids who enjoy playing them.

Most of these complaints come from worried parents and well-meaning organizations that simply don’t want their children to be exposed to something dangerous. 

But contrary to these accusations, science has constantly shown favor to video games. Studies from cognitive psychology and brain research have shown that a moderate amount of playing video games hosts several advantages. When used the right way, games are beneficial to kids and adults, no matter what age. 

In this article, we share 10 reasons why video games can be good for you, whether it’s training the mind, building social connections, or improving practical, real-life skills. 

#1 Video games strengthen your memory and attention.

Immersive gameplays require you to remember details to progress smoothly in the game, with different sources like texts, visuals, and audio having to be considered simultaneously. Video games condition the mind and improve its capability to store and remember information, both short-term and long-term.    

Video games also help sharpen your attention and reduce impulsiveness . Because you work towards accomplishing a certain goal throughout the game, you learn how to focus and orient all of your actions towards that goal.

#2 Video games can better your eyesight.

Gamers that play action games, especially first-person shooter games like Call of Duty, have been shown to have improved vision in terms of contrast sensitivity . Visual contrast sensitivity is the ability to distinguish different shades of gray. Because your mind is more focused and alert, your sense of sight (and other senses) is heightened and helps you see even subtle differences in color. 

Of course, too much screen time is bad for your eyes in the long run. Certain measures must be taken to moderate your exposure to avoid problems like eye fatigue, headaches, and long-term eye damage.

#3 Video games train you to multi-task.

Any good game has multiple stimuli that you need to consider while playing the game. Sometimes, you’ll have to factor in fast-moving visuals, audio instructions, and the ultimate objective of the game, all while using your joystick or keyboard controls. And more than just memorizing these pieces of information, you have to actively respond and make decisions after making sense of them — all in a matter of a few seconds.

In fact, an ergonomics study in 2013 showed that 50 hours of video game time significantly improved the performance of individuals in the Multi-Attribute Task Battery, a test measuring the skills required in piloting an aircraft. Those who played video games performed stellarly in doing multiple tasks , like controlling the target, monitoring fuel levels, and responding to radio communications. 

#4 Video games enhance your brain’s speed and flexibility.

Because everything happens so fast in a video game, your brain is also trained to process information quickly . Individuals who play video games frequently were found to process different stimuli faster than others, while still making smart decisions to accomplish the goal. 

Video games also improve mental flexibility, or the ability to switch between tasks rapidly and without error, even if these tasks were different and had conflicting demands.

#5 Video games improve your hand-eye coordination.

Hand-eye coordination is one of the foundations of being a good video game player, and playing specific games can further improve this skill . Video games harmonize your eye movement with your hand movement to allow you to react quickly and accurately. This is true for video games of any genre, but it’s especially true for active video games like Wii Sports and Kinect Adventures. 

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#6 Video games can help you form bonds and become more social. 

Contrary to popular belief, a healthy dose of video games does not make children (nor adults) anti-social . Because many games are online and social in nature, they can help you develop sportsmanship and a friendly attitude. Online communities for your favorite games are also very cordial and welcoming, aside from a few bad apples. 

The same is true for gamers outside of the internet. Because of the shared interest in online games, gamers easily get along and form casual yet meaningful bonds with each other. Many gamers in social environments also tend to be friendly and communicative, even with topics outside of gaming.

#7 Video games are a great platform for learning. 

Aside from the games that were specifically designed to be educational, a lot of games impart knowledge and relevant skills while not being explicitly made for learning.

Historical games that are inspired by real-life events like Assassin’s Creed or Civilization are great starting points for gamers to be interested in history. Sci-fi games like BioShock and Half-Life introduce physics concepts that, while comically exaggerated, are based on real science. 

#8 Video games can help you improve your performance at work. 

With all of these physical, mental, and social benefits of video games, the good stuff will consequentially go beyond the gaming world and into real life.

Many studies indicate that playing video games improves your work performance , especially in jobs that require quick and smart decision-making, good hand-eye coordination, and multi-tasking. Some of the fields that have been studied include neurosurgery, aviation, and civil engineering. 

#9 Video games decrease mental decline associated with aging.

Playing video games not only makes you feel young, but it also makes you think young. All of our mental facilities like memory and abstract reasoning decline with age, but research shows that playing video games helps combat this degeneration .

By actively engaging your mind, online games continue developing new skills and reinforcing new ones, no matter what your age is. In elderly individuals, video games have also been shown to improve their self-actualization and outlook in life.

#10 Video games are helpful in overcoming addiction and mental disorders. 

Video games have often been linked to addiction, but always as the problem and never the solution. Quite the reverse, video games have been used to overcome mental health challenges because they have been found to help stop unhealthy cravings like smoking and alcohol. 

By sharpening the mind and improving its capacities like attention and hand-eye coordination, video games are also being used as therapy for individuals with mental disorders like depression and ADHD, as well as learning disorders like dyslexia. 

Remember, too much of anything is bad for you 

With all of these wonderful benefits that you can get from playing video games, it’s tempting to say that playing 10 hours straight is okay since you’re getting all of the good stuff, right? Not really. Much like everything in excess, too much video games tend to counteract the pros and instead become detrimental to your physical, mental, and social health. 

To fully reap the benefits of video games, they must be consumed healthily and moderately. Additionally, selecting the appropriate video games is also important, because not all games offer the same cognitive benefits. Some online games may also not be suitable for younger and sensitive audiences. 

Who knew that by playing our favorite video games, we are also unknowingly sharpening our minds and developing skills that prepare us for the real world?

Most of us don’t give games enough credit , but science shows us that they are valuable platforms for both learning and entertainment. As long as they are used wisely and healthily, there is no harm in playing another round of Mario Kart with your friends.  

What are your thoughts on the benefits of video games? Which of these benefits surprised you to learn about? Let us know in the comments below.

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Video games really help me a lot especially when I’m sad.

Thank you for this! Really good points.

Kind regards

Narhan dosnlandson

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The Playing Brain. The Impact of Video Games on Cognition and Behavior in Pediatric Age at the Time of Lockdown: A Systematic Review

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A growing number of children and adolescents play video games (VGs) for long amounts of time. The current outbreak of the Coronavirus pandemic has significantly reduced outdoor activities and direct interpersonal relationships. Therefore, a higher use of VGs can become the response to stress and fear of illness. VGs and their practical, academic, vocational and educational implications have become an issue of increasing interest for scholars, parents, teachers, pediatricians and youth public policy makers. The current systematic review aims to identify, in recent literature, the most relevant problems of the complex issue of playing VGs in children and adolescents in order to provide suggestions for the correct management of VG practice. The method used searches through standardized search operators using keywords related to video games and the link with cognition, cognitive control and behaviors adopted during the pandemic. Ninety-nine studies were reviewed and included, whereas twelve studies were excluded because they were educationally irrelevant. Any debate on the effectiveness of VGs cannot refer to a dichotomous approach, according to which VGs are rigidly ‘good’ or ‘bad’. VGs should be approached in terms of complexity and differentiated by multiple dimensions interacting with each other.

1. Introduction

In the last decades, a very large body of literature has shown an increasing interest in video games (VGs) and their impact on the brain, cognition and behavior, especially in children and adolescents [ 1 ]. Indeed, a widely growing number of children and adolescents play VGs for a long time, often developing real addictive behaviors [ 2 , 3 ]. In addition, the current outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the following lockdown have significantly reduced outdoor activities and direct interpersonal relationships [ 4 , 5 ]. However, literature data are still inconsistent. For example, according to some meta-analytic reviews [ 6 , 7 , 8 ], exposure to violent VGs is a causal risk factor for increased aggressive behavior, cognition and affection in children and adolescents. Conversely, many cross-sectional and intervention studies have shown that the intensive use of some types of VGs leads to significant improvements in many cognitive domains and behaviours [ 1 , 9 , 10 , 11 ]. Video games are even considered as ‘virtual teachers’ and effective and ‘exemplary teachers’ [ 12 , 13 ].

The current systematic review focuses on some crucial outstanding issues within the debate on the effects of VGs on cognition and behavior in order to provide suggestions for parents, pediatricians, health providers and educators dealing with pediatric ages, especially in the complex pandemic period. Namely, it analyzes the most debated and educationally relevant problems on the relationship between video games, cognition and behavior: 1. video games’ effects on cognitive function; 2. video games’ effects on attention and addictive behaviors; 3. video games and prosocial or aggressive behavior. Therefore, the current analysis may be accounted as an original contribution to the practical dimension in the educational and rehabilitation field for parents and educators.

Early common predominant opinions mainly focused on VGs according to dichotomous thinking, as enjoyable entertainment or harmful tools [ 14 ]. The recent literature instead provided evidence on the impact of VGs on the brain and its functional modifications while playing [ 15 , 16 , 17 , 18 , 19 ], showing that video games involve different cortical and subcortical structures, with cognitive and emotional competence, such as frontal and prefrontal regions, the posterior and superior parietal lobe, the anterior and posterior cingulate cortices, limbic areas, the amygdala, the entorhinal cortex and basal nuclei [ 1 , 20 , 21 , 22 ].

Mondéjar and colleagues [ 15 ], in a group of twelve healthy preadolescents between 8 and 12 years old, evaluated the frontal lobe activity and the different types of cognitive processing during five platform-based action videogame mechanics: 1. accurate action, related to processes such as concentration, attention, impulse control and information comprehension; 2. timely action, related to working memory, selective attention, decision-making, problem solving and perception; 3. mimic sequence, related to working memory, focalized attention and inhibition control; 4. pattern learning, as selective attention, planning, inhibition control and spatial orientation; 5. logical puzzles related to attention, working memory, the capacity for abstraction, information processing, problem solving, or resistance to interference. They found prominent bioelectrical prefrontal activity during the performance related to executive functions (timely action, pattern learning, logical puzzles) and more global brain activity and a higher presence of alpha waves, or a greater activation of the temporal lobe, in the accurate action and mimic sequence. Similarly, they correlated higher magnitudes on frequency bands with five game mechanics in ten healthy children, who played with a VG platform for an average of about 20 min [ 16 ]. Theta waves, related to memory and emotions, were more significant in the five mechanics, while beta waves, related to concentration, were more prominent in only two. Moreover, activation was more significant in the intermediate and occipital areas for all the mechanics, while recurrent magnitude patterns were identified in three mechanics.

Similarly, Lee et al. [ 17 ], found a thinner cortex and a smaller gray matter volume in critical areas for evaluating reward values, error processing and adjusting behavior, namely, the anterior cingulate cortex, the orbitofrontal cortex and the frontoparietal areas, in young male adults with internet gaming disorders, compared to age-matched healthy male controls. A neuroimaging study examined in individuals affected by gaming disorders the differences during the playing of a violence-related vs. a non-violence-related version of the same VG [ 18 ]. While functional connectivity of the reward-related network and the behavioral inhibition system was altered, the orbitofrontal cortex and anterior cingulate cerebral area were overstimulated, similarly to smart drug addiction [ 17 , 23 ].

Recently, Kwak et al. [ 19 ] longitudinally compared 14 adolescents with internet gaming disorder to 12 professional internet gaming students who practiced for about ten hours a day, within a defined support system that included practice, physical exercise, lectures on team strategy, rest and mealtimes. After one year, both groups showed increased brain activity within the attention system of the parietal lobe. However, professional gamers improved problematic behaviors, impulsivity, aggression, depression and anxiety, while adolescents with internet gaming disorder showed no behavioral improvement and a dysfunctional brain activity within the impulse control network in the left orbitofrontal cortex.

The current systematic review was structured according to the guidelines and recommendations contained in the PRISMA statement [ 24 ].

Eligibility Criteria

Both experimental and correlational studies and meta-analyses between the years of 2000 and 2020 that investigated outcomes of VG exposure were included. They were considered children and adolescents. Studies employing different methodologies were included: studies in which naive participants were trained to use a VG versus a control group and studies comparing experienced versus non-gamers, or inexperienced players. Primary outcome measures were any type of structural and functional data obtained using neuroimaging techniques and behavioral testing.

Information Sources

One hundred and twenty-two studies were identified through electronic database searching in Ovid MEDLINE, Embase, PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus (Elsevier) and Web of Sciences. The final database search was run on January 2021 using the following keywords: video games; video games and cognition; video games and epidemic; cognitive control; behavior control; brain and video games; spatial cognition; prosocial behavior; violence in video games; aggressive behavior; addictions in adolescents; children and video games.

Study Selection

Inclusion criteria: written in English; published since 2000; deals in depth with cognitive skills, attention, executive functions, or cognitive control; follows a high methodological rigor.

Exclusion criteria: does not refer to key topics directly; the full text could not be obtained; lack of transparency due to missing methodology information. Ninety-nine studies were reviewed and included, whereas twelve studies were excluded because they were irrelevant to the topic or because the full text was not obtained. General communication materials, such as pamphlets, posters and infographics, were excluded as they do not provide evidence about their effectiveness.

Figure 1 shows the selection of studies flowchart.

Selection of studies flowchart.

3.1. Effect of Video Games on Cognitive Functions

Any modern VG requires an extensive repertoire of attentional, perceptual and executive abilities, such as a deep perceptual analysis of complex unfamiliar environments, detecting relevant or irrelevant stimuli, interference control, speed of information processing, planning and decision making, cognitive flexibility and working memory.

Literature data in the last years have proven that VGs may improve a variety of cognitive domains [ 1 , 25 ] as, for example, even just 10 hours of VG could improve spatial attention and mental rotation [ 26 , 27 ]. A large variety of design studies reported in habitual players better performance in multiple cognitive domains, including selective attention [ 3 , 21 , 26 , 28 ], speed of processing [ 21 , 28 ], executive functions [ 29 , 30 ] and working memory [ 31 ]. Similarly, a large body of intervention studies have shown improvements in the same cognitive domains in non-players following training in action VGs [ 27 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 , 36 , 37 ]. Recently, Benoit et al. [ 38 ] examined in 14 professional VG players and 16 casual VG players various cognitive abilities, such as processing speed, attention, memory, executive functions, manual dexterity and tracking multiple objects in three dimensions [ 39 ]. Professional players showed a very large advantage in visual–spatial short-term memory and visual attention, and less in selective and sustained attention and auditory working memory. Moreover, they showed better speed thresholds in tracking multiple objects in three dimensions overall, though the rate of improvement did not differ in the two groups. In two previous meta-analyses, Bediou et al. [ 40 ] focused on the long-term effects of action VGs on various cognitive domains using both cross-sectional and intervention studies. Overall, the results documented a positive impact of action video gaming on cognition. In cross-sectional studies, a main effect of about half a standard deviation was found. The habitual action game players showed better performance than non-players. Likewise, intervention studies showed about a third of a standard deviation advantage in cognition domains in action VG trainees. Perception, spatial cognition and top-down attention were the three cognitive domains with the most robust impact [ 40 ].

Homer et al. [ 41 ] examined the effectiveness of a custom-designed VG (‘alien game’) in a group of 82 healthy adolescents (age range 14–18 years; average = 15.5 years) trained to play for 20 min per week for 6 consecutive weeks. Such a digital game was devised to target, in a fun way, the specific executive ability of shifting, as the ability to shift between tasks or mental sets, hypothesizing that after playing the ‘alien game’ over a period of several weeks, adolescents would show significant improvements in the targeted ability. Pre- and post-test measures of another executive ability, inhibition, as the ability to control a prepotent response, were also recorded in order to examine the extent to which training would transfer from one executive ability to another. Significant advantages both in shifting and in inhibition abilities were found, providing evidence that VGs can be effective tools for training executive abilities [ 42 , 43 ].

Similarly, Oei and Patterson [ 44 ] examined the effect of action and non-action VGs on executive functions. Fifty-two non-VG gamers played one of four different games for 20 h. Pre- and post-training tests of executive function were administered. The group that trained on the physics-based puzzle game, demanding high level planning, problem solving, reframing, strategizing and new strategies from level to level, improved in several aspects of executive function. In a previous study, the same authors [ 45 ] instructed 75 non-gamers, (average age 21.07 ± 2.12) to play for 20 h, one hour a day/five days a week over four weeks. They compared effects of action and non-action games to examine whether non-action games also improve cognition. Four tests pre- and post-training were administered. The results showed that cognitive improvements were not limited to training with action games and that different games improved different aspects of cognition. Action VGs have even been used to treat dyslexic children [ 46 , 47 ]. Only 12 h of action VGs, for nine sessions of 80 min per day, significantly improved reading and attentional skills [ 48 ].

Moreover, several meta-analytic studies provide evidence that action VG training may become an efficient way to improve the cognitive performance of healthy adults. Wang et al. [ 49 ], in a meta-analysis, found that healthy adults achieve moderate benefits from action VG training in overall cognitive ability and moderate to small benefits in specific cognitive domains. In contrast, young adults gain more benefits than older adults in both overall cognition and specific cognitive domains.

In summation, the studies on VG effects, by different methodologies, document both in adults and in children significant positive outcomes in different cognitive domains. Such performance improvements may be paralleled by functional brain remodelling [ 14 ].

3.2. Video Games Effect on Attention and Addictive Behaviors

Attentional problems are accounted as a crucial area of focus on outcomes of intensive game-play practices in children and adolescents. However, literature on the topic appears inconsistent. While some research has found mixed results [ 50 ] or a positive effect [ 51 , 52 , 53 ], or no relationship between VG practice and attention, other studies have linked VG playing with greater attention problems, such as impulsiveness, self-control, executive functioning, and cognitive control [ 53 , 54 , 55 ].

Gentile et al. [ 56 ], examining longitudinally, over 3 years, a large sample of child and adolescent VG players aged 8–17 (mean = 11.2 ± 2.1), suggested a bidirectional causality: children who spend more time playing VGs have more attention problems; in turn, subjects who have more attention problems spend more time playing VGs. Therefore, children and adolescents with attention problems are more attracted to VGs (excitement hypothesis), and, in turn, they find it less engaging to focus on activities requiring more control and sustained attention, such as educational activities, homework or household chores (displacement hypothesis). According to such hypotheses, and to the operant conditioning model [ 57 , 58 ], VGs, providing strong motivational cues, become more rewarding for impulsive children and teenagers [ 51 ] who, in such contexts, experience a sense of value and feelings of mastery that they do not experience in their daily relationships [ 59 ].

Actually, any modern VG is a highly engaging activity with a variety of attractive cues, such as, for example, violence, rapid movement, fast pacing and flashing lights [ 60 , 61 ]. According to the attractive hypothesis [ 56 ], it may provide a strong motivation and support for attention and even become addictive, especially in subjects with problems maintaining attention in usual, monotonous and poorly engaging tasks. Therefore, paradoxically, a greater VG exposure may improve visual attention skills involved in such engaging play [ 26 ], but it may impair the ability to selectively focus on a target for lasting time, without external exciting cues.

Probably, in line with the bidirectional causality framework [ 56 ], such rewarding conditions could become the psychological context for the structuring of addictive behaviors, such as a sense of euphoria while playing, feeling depressed away from the game, an uncontrollable and persistent craving to play, neglect of family and friends, problems with school or jobs, alteration of sleeping routines, irregular meals and poor hygiene [ 14 ]. The most psychologically fragile subjects may be most attracted to an engaging and rewarding activity, ensuring an effective compensation to their fragility [ 14 ]. However, the topic of video game addiction continues to present today many outstanding issues. There is a large consensus that ‘pathological use’ is more debilitating than ‘excessive use’ of VGs alone [ 62 , 63 , 64 ]. Addictive behavior appears associated with an actual lowering in academic, social, occupational, developmental and behavioral dimensions, while excessive use may simply be an excessive amount of time gaming. According to Griffiths’ suggestions, ‘healthy excessive enthusiasms add to life, whereas addiction takes away from it’ [ 65 ]. However, it is sometimes difficult to identify the clear line between unproblematic overuse of gaming and the pathological and compulsive overuse that compromises one’s lifestyle and psychosocial adjustment [ 66 , 67 , 68 ]. Therefore, there may be a risk of stigmatizing an enjoyable practice, which, for a minority of excessive users, may be associated with addiction-related behaviors [ 69 , 70 ]. Przybylski and colleagues, in four survey studies with large international cohorts (N = 18,932), found that the percentage of the general population who could qualify for internet gaming disorders was extremely small (less than one percent) [ 71 ].

In such a discussion of the pathological nature of VGs, another outstanding question is whether pathological play is a major problem, or if it is the phenomenological manifestation of another pathological condition. Several studies have suggested that video game play can become harmful enough to be categorized as a psychiatric disorder, or it could be a symptom of an underlying psychopathological condition, such as depression or anxiety. Moreover, the functional impairments observed in individuals with game addictions are also thought to be similar to the impairments observed in other addictions. Neuroimaging studies have shown that the brain reward pathways which are activated during video game playing are also activated during cue-induced cravings of drug, alcohol or other type of substances abuse [ 72 , 73 , 74 ].

Some longitudinal studies [ 14 , 75 , 76 ] proved that pathological addictive behaviors, such as depression, are likely to be outcomes of pathological gaming rather than predictors of it [ 77 , 78 ]. Lam and Peng [ 79 ], in a prospective study with a randomly generated cohort of 881 healthy adolescents aged between 13 and 16 years, found that the pathological use of the internet results in later depression. Similarly, Liau et al. [ 80 ], in a 2-year longitudinal study involving 3034 children and adolescents aged 8 to 14 years, found that pathological video gaming has potentially serious mental health consequences, in particular of depression.

In summary, attention problems and addictive behaviors in the context of VGs should be addressed in a circular and bidirectional way in which each variable can influence the others.

3.3. Video Games Effect and Prosocial and Aggressive Behaviors

The positive impact of video games also concerns the social and relational dimension, as occurs in the VG training of prosocial or educational skills. Several studies have reported that playing prosocial VGs, even for a short time, increases prosocial cognition [ 81 ], positive affect [ 82 ] and helping behaviors [ 13 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 ], whereas it decreases antisocial thoughts and the hostile expectation bias, such as the tendency to perceive any provocative actions of other people as hostile even when they are accidental [ 13 , 86 ]. Such findings have been found in correlational, longitudinal and experimental investigations [ 82 , 85 , 87 ].

In four different experiments [ 13 ], playing VGs with prosocial content was positively related to increased prosocial behavior, even though participants played the VGs for a relatively short time, suggesting that VGs with prosocial content could be used to improve social interactions, increase prosocial behavior, reduce aggression and encourage tolerance.

Following experimental, correlational, longitudinal and meta-analytic studies provided further evidence that playing a prosocial VG results in greater interpersonal empathy, cooperation and sharing and subsequently in prosocial behavior [ 87 , 88 , 89 , 90 ].

Such literature’s data are consistent with the General Learning Model [ 91 , 92 ], according to which the positive or negative content of the game impacts on the player’s cognition, emotions and physiological arousal, which, in turn, leads to positive or negative learning and behavioral responses [ 12 , 93 , 94 , 95 ]. Therefore, repeated prosocial behavioral scripts can be translated into long-term effects in cognitive, emotional and affective constructs related to prosocial actions, cognition, feelings, and physiological arousal, such as perceptual and expectation schemata, beliefs, scripts, attitudes and stereotypes, empathy and personality structure [ 83 , 91 ].

In the same conceptual framework, educational video games have been found to positively affect behaviors in a wide range of domains [ 12 ], school subjects [ 96 ] and health conditions [ 97 , 98 ]. In randomized clinical trials, for example, diabetic or asthmatic children and adolescents improved their self-care and reduced their emergency clinical utilization after playing health education and disease management VGs. After six months of playing, diabetic patients decreased their emergency visits by 77 percent [ 99 ]. Therefore, well-designed games can provide powerful interactive experiences that can foster young children’s learning, skill building, self-care and healthy development [ 100 ].

Violence in VGs is a matter of intense debate, both in public opinion and in the scientific context [ 101 , 102 ]. A vast majority of common opinions, parents and educators consider the violence of VGs as the most negatively impacting feature to emotional and relational development of youth and children. Actually, studies agree on the negative impact of violent video games on aggressive behavior. Several meta-analyses have examined violent VGs [ 6 , 7 , 8 , 103 ] and, although they vary greatly in terms of how many studies they include, they seem to agree with each other. The most comprehensive [ 8 ] showed that violent VGs, gradually and unconsciously, as a result of repeated exposure to justified and fun violence, would increase aggressive thoughts, affect and behavior, physiological persistent alertnes, and would desensitize players to violence and to the pain and suffering of others, supporting a perceptual and cognitive bias to attribute hostile intentions to others.

Similarly, experimental, correlational and longitudinal studies supported the causal relationship between violent VGs and aggression, in the short- and long-term, both in a laboratory and in a real-life context. A greater amount of violent VGs, or even a brief exposure, were significantly associated with more positive attitudes toward violence [ 104 ], higher trait hostility [ 105 ] and with increased aggressive behaviors [ 106 ], physical fights [ 107 ] and aggressive thoughts [ 108 ] and affect [ 109 ]. In a two-year longitudinal study, children and adolescents who played a lot of violent VGs showed over time more aggressive behaviors, including fights and delinquency [ 110 ]. Saleem, Anderson and Gentile [ 82 ] examined the effects of short-term exposure to prosocial, neutral and violent VGs in a sample of 191 children of 9–14 years old. Results indicated that while playing prosocial games increased helpful and decreased hurtful behaviour, the violent games had the opposite effect.

In summation, the overall literature data support the opinion that violent video games, over time, affect the brain and activate a greater availability to aggressive behavior patterns, although some researchers have pointed out that the negative effects of violent VGs are small and may be a publication bias [ 14 , 111 ].

4. Discussion

The focus of the current overview was to identify, from a functional point of view, the most significant issues in the debate on the impact of VGs on cognition and behavior in children and adolescents, in order to provide suggestions for a proper management of VG practice.

Overall, the reviewed literature agrees in considering the practice of VGs as much more than just entertainment or a leisure activity. Moreover, research agrees that any debate on the effectiveness of VGs cannot refer to a unitary construct [ 14 ], nor to a rigidly dichotomous approach, according to which VGs are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ [ 1 , 12 , 112 , 113 ].

The term ‘video game’ should be viewed as an ‘umbrella term’ that covers different meanings, far from a single unitary construct [ 14 , 114 ]. Furthermore, VGs and their effects should be approached in terms of complexity and differentiated by multiple dimensions interacting with each other and with a set of other variables, such as, for example, the player’s age and personality traits, the amount of time spent playing, the presence of an adult, the game alone or together with others and so on [ 115 ].

Gentile and colleagues [ 116 , 117 , 118 , 119 ] have identified five main features of VGs that can affect players: 1. amount of play; 2. content; 3. context; 4. structure; and 5. mechanics. Each of these aspects can produce or increase different thoughts, feelings and behaviors.

However, the content effects, individually focused, are frequently overemphasized. According to the General Learning Model, children would learn the contents of the specific games and apply them to their lives. Nevertheless, a violent game using a team-based game modality may have different impacts than a violent game using a ‘free for all’ game modality. Although both are equally violent games, the former could suggest teamwork and collaborative behaviors, while playing in an ‘everyone for oneself’ mode could foster less empathy and more aggressive thoughts and behaviors [ 8 , 88 ].

Likewise, the outside social context can have different effects and it may even mitigate or reinforce the effects of the content. Playing violent games together with others could increase aggression outcomes if players reinforce each other in aggressive behavior. Instead, it could have a prosocial effect if the motivations to play together are to help each other [ 120 ].

According to the dominant literature, the psychological appeal of video games may be related to an operant conditioning that reinforces multiple psychological instances, including the need for belonging and social interaction [ 57 , 58 ]. On such drives and reinforcements, the playing time can expand, and it may become endless in addicted subjects. However, the amount of play, regardless of the content, can become harmful when it displaces beneficial activities, affects academic performance or social dimensions [ 52 , 121 ], or supports health problems, such as, for instance, obesity [ 122 , 123 , 124 ], repetitive strain disorder and video game addiction [ 76 , 83 ]. However, a greater amount of time inevitably implies increased repetition of other game dimensions. Therefore, it is likely that some associations between time spent and negative outcomes result from other dimensions, and not from amount of time per se. Moreover, children who perform poorly at school are likely to spend more time playing games, according to the displacement hypothesis, but over time, the excessive amount of play may further damage academic performance in a vicious circle [ 116 ].

VGs can also have a different psychological appeal in relation to their structural organization and the way they are displayed. Many structural features can affect playing behavior, regardless of the individual’s psychological, physiological, or socioeconomic status [ 125 ], such as, for instance, the degree of realism of the graphics, sound and back-ground, the game duration, the advancement rate, the game dynamics such as exploring new areas, elements of surprise, fulfilling a request, the control options of the sound, graphics, the character development over time and character customization options, the winning and losing features as the potential to lose or accumulate points, finding bonuses, having to start a level again, the ability to save regularly, the multi-player option building alliances and beating other players [ 125 ].

The more or less realistic mechanics can also configure the game differently and affect fine or gross motor skills, hand-eye coordination or even balance skills, depending on the type of controller, such as a mouse and keyboard, a game control pad, a balance board, or a joystick.

Therefore, VGs may differ widely in multiple dimensions and, as a result, in their effects on cognitive skills and behavior [ 3 , 33 ]. Moreover, the different dimensions may interact with each other and with the psychological, emotional and personality characteristics of the individual player and context. Even the same game can have both positive and negative effects in different contexts and for different subjects.

The current analysis of the literature, therefore, supports the need for further experimental and longitudinal research on the role of multiple characteristics of video games and their interactions. A wide-ranging approach dynamically focused on the multiple dimensions will allow a deeper theoretical understanding of the different aspects of video games.

Nevertheless, according to common opinion, the violence would always have a negative impact on behavior, especially in pediatric subjects. However, a strictly causal relationship between violent VGs and aggressive behavior appears rather reductive [ 126 , 127 ]. Aggressive behavior is a complex one and arises from the interaction of a lot of factors. Therefore, violent VGs, with no other risk factors, should not be considered ‘per se’ the linear cause and single source of aggressive or violent behavior. Antisocial outcomes can be influenced by personality variables, such as trait aggression, or by a number of the ‘third variables’ such as gender, parental education, exposure to family violence and delinquency history [ 83 ]. According to social learning theories [ 128 ], aggressive behavior would arise from repeated exposure to violence patterns [ 129 ]. Therefore, children who have other risk factors for violent or aggressive behavior, such as violent family patterns, excessive amount of time spent playing, playing alone, and so on are more likely to have negative consequences from playing violent video games.

An alternative theoretical framework [ 126 , 127 ] assumes that violent behavior would result from the interaction of genetically predisposed personality traits and stressful situations. In such a model, violent VGs would act as ‘stylistic catalysts’ [ 127 ], providing an individual predisposed to violence with the various models of violent behavior. Therefore, an aggressive child temperament would derive from a biological pathway, while the violent VG, as a ‘stylistic catalyst’, may suggest the specific violent behavior to enact.

Conversely, playing prosocial VGs, even for a short time, increases prosocial cognition, affect and behaviors in children and adolescents [ 13 , 81 , 82 , 83 , 84 , 85 , 89 ]. Several intervention or training studies showed that a prosocial VG should activate experiences, knowledge, feelings and patterns of behavior relating to prosocial actions, cognition, feelings and physiological arousal. In turn, in line with the General Learning Model, [ 91 , 130 ], recurrent prosocial behavioral scripts produce new learning, new behavioral patterns and emotional and affective cognitive constructs [ 83 ].

Moreover, several studies emphasize the educational and academic potential of VGs that may become effective and ‘exemplary teachers’ [ 12 , 82 ] providing fun and motivating contexts for deep learning in a wide range of content [ 12 ], such as school learning [ 96 ], rehabilitation activities [ 46 , 47 ], new health care and protection behavior development and the enhancement of specific skills [ 97 , 99 , 100 ]. Similarly, the literature data document that the intensive use of VGs results in generalized improvements in cognitive functions or specific cognitive domains, and in behavioral changes [ 1 ]. Actually, VGs involve a wide range of cognitive functions, and attentional, perceptual, executive, planning and problem solving skills. They can, therefore, be expected to improve different perceptual and cognitive domains. However, on a methodological level, the impact on behavior and cognition cannot be simplistically viewed as the linear result of a causal relationship between VG and performance. For instance, subjects with better perceptual abilities are likely to choose to play and, as a result, their increase in performance may reflect their baseline level rather than the effects of the game.

Studies focused on the attentional functions in VG playing reported inconsistent data. Playing action games may improve attention skills implied in a specific game. However, according to the attractive hypothesis [ 56 ] and operant conditioning theory, children and adolescents with attentional problems may be attracted by the motivating and engaging VG activities. On the other hand, children and adolescents with a wider VG exposure show greater attention problems [ 53 ]. The relationship between VGs and attention, then, seem to be approached in terms of bidirectional causality [ 56 ].

Similarly, since VGs and their cues appear more pleasant and desirable, a large amount of attractive VG exposure can lead to addiction and impair ability to focus on effortful goal oriented behavior [ 131 ]. However, the literature does not yet appear to agree on the objective diagnostic criteria for classifying behavioral game addiction [ 132 ].

In the fifth edition appendix of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [ 133 ], the diagnostic criteria for Internet Gaming Disorder included both specific internet games and offline games. However, this has led to some confusion as to whether excessive video games must necessarily occur online [ 134 , 135 ]. According to some authors, since ‘Internet addiction’ includes heterogeneous behaviors and etiological mechanisms, the term ‘video game disorder’ or simply ‘gaming disorder’ would be more suitable [ 136 , 137 ], while the term ‘Internet addiction’ appears inappropriate. Individuals rarely become addicted to the medium of the internet itself [ 137 , 138 ]. Moreover, it has also been supported theoretically [ 135 ] and empirically proven [ 139 ] that problematic internet use and problematic online gaming are not the same.

The debate on the relationship between pure game addiction behaviors and game addiction in comorbidity with other psychiatric disorders appears still on. Some researchers have argued that game addiction, as a standalone clinical entity, does not exist [ 140 ], but it is simply a symptom of psychiatric illnesses such as major depressive disorder or Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. Equally poorly defined is the question of genetic predisposition and vulnerability to game addiction.

Likewise, the relationship between clinical symptoms and changes in brain activity and the dynamics by which video games triggers such widespread brain plasticity needs to be more clearly defined.

5. Conclusions

The current analysis of the literature provides strong evidence on the power of video games as highly motivating and engaging tools in the broader context of cognitive, emotional and relational development of children and adolescents. However, the effectiveness of such tools does not arise exclusively from their content, but it results from a set of variables interacting each other.

Video games, beyond their content, can favor pathological aggression, withdrawal, escape from reality and reduction of interests. Virtual reality becomes more attractive than the real one and can become the ‘non-place’ to escape from the complexity of everyday life. Recently, to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic, health authorities have forced populations to stay home and children and adolescents may experience an exacerbation of exposure to video games.

Parents, educators and teachers should ensure an educational presence, monitoring times and modalities of VG practice in a broader context in which children and adolescents live with a wider repertoire of interests, without losing social and relational engagement. Moreover, pediatric health care visits may be a great opportunity to support parents helping children to deal with media and video games.

On these assumptions, as practical suggestions to prevent or mitigate addictive behaviors, parents and educators should enforce the golden rule as the educational presence of the adult.

Moreover, in line with the literature, the core values to prevent a negative impact of video games should be focused on a few rules to be proposed with assertiveness and authority: 1. set a clear time limit to play, 2. prefer games that can also be played with family, 3. alternate video games with other games and activities, 4. avoid highly addictive games, 5. keep a social life in the real world.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, D.S., L.D.F. and G.L.; methodology, D.S., E.G.; formal analysis, D.S., E.G. and L.D.F.; data curation, E.G. and L.D.F.; writing—original draft preparation, D.S., E.G. and L.D.F.; writing—review and editing, D.S.; supervision, D.S. and G.L.; funding acquisition, D.S. and G.L. All authors have read and agreed to the published version of the manuscript.

This research received no external funding.

Institutional Review Board Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Data availability statement, conflicts of interest.

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Publisher’s Note: MDPI stays neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

20 Benefits of Video Games

These Gaming Speeches Demonstrate the Hobby's Unlikely Advantages

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Online Games Good or Bad Speech

• Updated on  
• Sep 15, 2022

Online Gaming is a new fad amongst all age groups today especially amongst teenagers which has its own advantages and disadvantages. Online Games Good or Bad Speech is among the ASL Topics and we have composed two sample speeches that can help you prepare for your English assessment.  

Online Game: Good Or Bad Speech Sample 1 [400-500 words]

Good morning everyone! I am ABC and today I stand before you to present an insightful and informative speech on whether Online games are good or bad? Online gaming is a double-edged sword that has its own share of merits and demerits. Post pandemic most of our life has become virtual and hence, being completely cut off from online gaming is impossible and even if possible, it will do more harm than good as children and teenagers will be deprived of leisure. Coming on to the bright side of online gaming, there are a plethora of benefits of online gaming as they hone our Analytical thinking, inculcate the importance of Goal-oriented Behaviour as a lot of online Games involve missions and levels which requires really good gaming skills, and online gaming makes teenagers more prudent and alert. India has witnessed a huge boom in the gaming market because the majority of our population is young, mobile phones are available at low cost, and easily available on the Internet. India is among the top 5 online mobile gaming industries and as per research which shows 30 percent of people believe playing online games enhances cognitive skills. Playing online games helps teenagers connect with their peers as most of the teenagers play online games and also if played within limits then it is a really good leisure activity. Now after exploring the merits, we will now understand the dark side of online Gaming. Playing excessive online games reduces our interest in other important activities like academics, outdoor sports. Moreover, all day of sitting and playing online games is detrimental for physical and mental health. Also at times, kids can download games from unsafe sources which may bring viruses to their mobile phone or PC. Also, these games are highly addictive in nature which not only distorts focus but also inhibits delayed gratification among children. Playing action games frequently makes children impulsive and aggressive. The research found that gaming addiction is correlated with low-self esteem, negative beliefs about one’s self, and poor social relationships. Be careful while playing online games, as the most attractive game can be the biggest distraction that can hinder you from achieving your goals and dreams. Now after taking both merits and demerits of online gaming into consideration it is safe to say that online games are beneficial as well as harmful depending completely on us whether we allow these games to overpower our willpower or not. Otherwise if played in limit playing games can be a rewarding experience as well.

Online Game: Good Or Bad Speech Sample 2 [200-300 Words]

Good morning everyone! I am ABC and today I stand before you to present an insightful and informative speech on Online games: good or bad? Just like a coin, online gaming has two sides that must be understood comprehensively. First, we will explore the bright side of online gaming and some of the benefits of online gaming can’t be ignored as it helps us in improving our critical thinking skills as games with tough missions and levels require us to think critically, encourage out of the box and solution-oriented manner of thinking as some missions in a particular game may require spontaneity and smartness in order to crack those missions. Also if played within limits, online gaming, especially with friends, can be a rewarding experience indeed after a tiresome and hectic day at work or College and it improves the presence of mind and alertness. Now further, let’s explore the dark side of online gaming. Some of its demerits are that it takes up a lot of our time, if we get addicted to it and it also deviates us from our main goals and work. Playing violent and action games can definitely instill violence and aggression in our behavior. Thus, we must be cautious of online gaming and play these games within the limit as playing them excessively can hinder our social relationships and affect our health. After taking both the pros and cons of online gaming into account, it is advisable to play online games but only within a limit so that it does not overpower our willpower.

Apart from Online Gaming Good Or Bad Speech, here are some more popular speech samples for you:

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13 comments

your blog gave me lots of knowledge for gaming

Thank you, Pawan!

this website is a gem i like the way they give the intro and outro

Glad you liked it, Harin! You can also check: Harvard’s 5 New Free Online Courses for Programmers How to Make a Career in Online Gaming? Reach us at 1800 57 2000 for study-abroad related matters!

you are very very nice

Thank you for the comment, Vinayak!

Very good app is this I want to study with this class

If you liked the blog o speech on the online game good or bad, you must read our blog on speech on Procrastination- https://leverageedu.com/blog/speech-on-procrastination/ .

This info is new for me ! Thanks

Glad to help!

Thanks for this.

This article posts a lot of information on online games that help us have different strategies, critical thinking, multitasking, problem-solving, quicker decision making, relaxation, better memory, and more concentration.

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11 Positive Effects of Video Games

Playing video games can have positive effects and benefits, when played in moderation.

The most notable positive effects of gaming include:

• Improved cognitive abilities
• Improved problem-solving skills and logic
• Increased hand-to-eye coordination
• Greater multi-tasking ability
• Faster and more accurate decision-making
• Enhanced prosocial behaviors
• Better eyesight (attention to detail)
• More physical activity with games that promote physical activity (VR, mobile games)
• And other benefits.

The Top Positive Effects of Video Games

These are the main benefits of playing video games that you should know about.

Improved Cognitive Abilities

Video games improve some of your cognitive abilities – especially your visuospatial skills and concentration.

Visuospatial ability is your ability to recognize and remember objects and the relations between those objects. This skill can be essential for everyday tasks such as driving, finding your way in a city, or making sense of a map or objects around you.

Spatial ability is also important in several fields of study, including mathematics, natural sciences, engineering, meteorology, and architecture.

This is one of the key positive effects of video games that might be beneficial for students and professionals, but will also serve gamers well in everyday life.

Enhanced Problem Solving and Logic

A recent study from 2015 from Australian and Chinese research teams showed that gaming improves problem-solving skills and logic .

Researchers performed fMRI scans on 27 professional gamers and found they had more grey matter and “heightened connectivity between certain subregions in the insular cortex”. In practice, this translates to enhanced cognitive abilities, which include improved problem-solving skills and logic.

Many gamers play games that require a great deal of planning, strategic thinking and using logic to achieve goals within the game, so it makes sense that they will have enhanced development in areas of the brain dedicated to problem solving and logic.

Increased Hand-to-Eye Coordination

Another positive effect of gaming is increased hand-to-eye coordination.

A study from the University of Toronto in 2014 found that people who play games regularly have better sensorimotor skills than those who don’t play video games.

These skills are key for faster learning and adoption of tasks that require hand-to-eye coordination, such as bike riding, typing, or other tasks that require you to coordinate the movement of your hands with the movement of your eyes.

The study included 18 gamers and 18 non-gamers; both groups had to perform a simple task on their screens that involved following green dots with the mouse. At first, there seemed to be no major differences between the two groups.

However, as the test carried on and it got repetitive, the tests showed that gamers performed with more speed and more accuracy than non-gamers.

Games allow you to develop an ability to learn sensorimotor patterns and movements faster and more efficiently, which may help you with tasks in the physical world.

Greater Multi-Tasking Ability

Games have shown to improve your multitasking ability.

This is one of the most notable benefits of gaming because it provides you with the ability to perform your daily tasks better and more efficiently, and also complete many tasks at the same time.

Many games force players to perform several tasks at the same time – especially action games. For example, you have to look at the enemy on the screen, keep track of your health, ammo, and other stats, as well as move your character. You might also be speaking on a microphone with your teammates and friends.

With all of the fast paced action and hyper-stimulation that modern games provide, gamer’s may improve their multi-tasking ability.

Faster and More Accurate Decision-Making

Researchers from the University of Rochester found that video games can help you make decisions faster and more accurately, which can translate into better decision-making ability in real life.

The study also found that if you play action games, in particular, you’re more likely to make faster and more accurate decisions over non-gamers, and even over players that play slow-paced games.

When presented with a problem, action game players were up to 25 percent faster than players of slow-paced games, and their decisions were also more accurate.

This skill can be valuable in areas of work where fast decision-making is crucial such as on the battlefield, or in a hospital, and gamers are primed to make these decisions faster and more accurately.

Enhanced Prosocial Behaviors

Even though excessive gaming can make you antisocial , there are many games out there that promote the social aspect of gaming.

Some games involve cooperating with other players and talking with them through text or voice chat, which can improve your ability to work with other people and have better social interactions, even when playing games.

The social aspect of gaming has also grown beyond just playing prosocial games. For example, gaming may be a popular conversation topic amongst students at school. There are also scholastic esports teams and clubs being formed, along with a convergence between gaming and social media platforms such as Twitch and Discord.

Although gaming is increasingly social, it is important to maintain a balance of face-to-face interactions and physical world friendships.

Better Eyesight

A study from 2012 conducted by Timothy J Wright and Daniel P Blakely found that people who play games are able to see more detail , especially in the periphery of their eyesight.

This is especially true for gamers of first-person shooter games where extracting information from your visual periphery is crucial for spotting enemies or dangers.

This ability to see more detail in your eyesight and in the periphery of your eyesight translates to better performance in everyday tasks such as driving.

With that said, it is important to give your eyes a break from screens, ideally for a few minutes every hour of use, as excessive screen time may cause eye irritation and eye strain.

Higher Accuracy and Faster Completion of Tasks

Video games may improve one’s ability to perform tasks that require accuracy quicker and with higher accuracy.

A study by James C Rosser Jr et. al. from 2007 examined laparoscopic (abdomen) surgeon training and included young surgeons that play video games to see what effects gaming would have on their ability to perform surgeries and other medical tasks.

The study found that surgeons who played video games in the past or recently had 37% fewer errors and completed the task 27% faster than non-gamers . Their accuracy also improved with more playtime. The study found that even with more modest playing time (3 hours a week), gamers performed better than non-gamers.

This study, along with others we have shared, suggests gamers do better at tasks that require speed, accuracy, and hand-to-eye coordination.

Some Video Games Promote Teamwork

Video game players play many games that include cooperating with other members of the team to achieve the goal of the game. Some of the more popular games include Team Fortress 2, Roblox , League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter Strike, Rocket League and several others.

In a study conducted by Brigham Young University, teams that played video games together for 45 minutes performed up to 20% better than teams that were involved in other forms of team-building exercises .

This suggests gaming may be a good way to develop chemistry amongst team members when used as a team-building exercise. The study also shows that some games do have the potential to improve an individual’s ability to cooperate with other team members, which is a valuable skill to have in today’s job marketplace.

More Physical Activity

Playing games that promote you to stay active might improve your physical health , especially when compared to games where you remain sedentary the whole time.

Take VR games as an example. The vast majority of these games will have you moving around or at least standing up, which is already better for your health than playing games where you remain seated.

Gamers also find VR gaming more immersive and satisfactory than traditional gaming, so it’s only a matter of time before VR games become the norm in the next few years or decades.

Other Benefits

In addition to all the main positive effects of video games, there are also some other effects that many gamers report, including:

• Non-native English speakers are able to learn English faster using video games,
• Games require you to persevere with your task to complete the goal of the game, which means they build up your perseverance,
• Video game players are also able to concentrate better and for longer periods than non-gamers,
• Other benefits include better pattern recognition, strategic thinking, risk-taking abilities, and management.

The Bottom Line

Gaming can be a positive and beneficial experience, when played in moderation. To experience the positive effects of video games, it can be helpful to identify your motivation to play.

If you play games in moderation, for fun and recreation, you may experience many benefits. However, if you play games excessively to escape real-life problems , then you may begin to experience problems from your play, and in extreme cases, develop a gaming disorder.

Playing games can have both negative and positive implications on your quality of life so it’s important to be aware of your play and keep it in balance.

If you, or any of your loved ones, are experiencing any negative effects of gaming , we have several resources at Game Quitters to help you out:

• Respawn program for helping gamers quit gaming addiction
• Reclaim program for families of gamers affected
• Game Quitters community forum where you’ll find like-minded people
• Read case studies of former video game addicts to find some inspirational stories
• If you have severe symptoms like suicidal thoughts, consider finding help from a therapist near you or check out INTENTA’s online training .

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1 Minute Speech on Video Games In English

A very good morning to one and all present here. Today, I will be giving a short speech on the topic of ‘Video Games’.

Google defines the term ‘video game’ to be “a game played by electronically manipulating images produced by a computer program on a monitor or other display.”

Simply put, video games are those games played virtually played on a computer screen or a television screen or perhaps a PlayStation. 

According to Wikipedia, Video games are ‘electronic games’ which often “involve interaction with a user interface or input device – such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device – to generate audiovisual feedback.”

There are several types of video games in existence, over 30 in fact! Some of them, namely, are Sandbox, Real-time strategy (RTS), Shooters (FPS and TPS), Multiplayer online battle arena (MOBA), Role-playing (RPG, ARPG, and More), Simulation and sports, Puzzlers and party games, and Action-adventure.

Out of these, Action Games, Adventure Games, Role-Playing Games, Strategy Games, and Simulation Games are popular. 

Thank you. 

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Speech about Games [1,2,3,5 Minutes]

1 minute speech on games.

Games are a form of entertainment that can be enjoyed by anyone, regardless of age or gender.

Games are also a form of communication that can be used to teach and learn skills. They have the ability to encourage creativity and problem-solving skills. Games also help children learn critical thinking and decision-making skills.

Playing games for physical fitness is a popular method of exercise. Games like Wii Fit, Wii Sports Club, and Dance Central are all examples of games that can help people stay physically fit.

Games provide a convenient way to keep track of progress and motivate users to keep playing. This has led to the development of more games that focus on physical health and wellness.

Quotes for Speech about Games

• “Life is more fun if you play games.” – Roald Dahl
• “Every game is an opportunity to measure yourself against your own potential.” – Bud Wilkinson
• “Life is a game, play it; Life is a challenge, meet it; Life is an opportunity, capture it.” – Unknown
• “Games lubricate the body and the mind.” – Benjamin Franklin
• “You don’t stop playing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop playing.” – Benjamin Franklin
• “In every real man, a child is hidden that wants to play.” – Friedrich Nietzsche
• “Life is a game where the player must appear ridiculous.” – Violet Bonham Carter
• “Games are the most elevated form of investigation.” – Albert Einstein
• “Life is more than just a game of luck.” – Lou Holtz
• “Sports do not build character. They reveal it.” – Heywood Broun
• “The game of life is a lot like football. You have to tackle your problems, block your fears, and score your points when you get the opportunity.” – Lewis Grizzard
• “Winning isn’t everything, but wanting to win is.” – Vince Lombardi
• “The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack in will.” – Vince Lombardi
• “Life is a game that must be played.” – Edwin Arlington Robinson
• “It’s not whether you win or lose, it’s how you play the game.” – Grantland Rice

2 Minutes Speech on Games

Games are one of the most important components of a digital agency’s portfolio. Games can be used to generate content for their clients or just to have fun with.

Games are not just for entertainment purposes, but they can also be used as a tool for education and training. It is important that games are designed in such a way that they provide users with an immersive experience while teaching them about certain topics or skills.

Playing games on the ground is a fun activity that can be done by anyone. It is also an exercise that can help to relieve stress and anxiety.

We need playgrounds because children need to have a safe place to play and learn. It is a place where they can express themselves and be themselves without judgment.

Playgrounds are important for children, but it is also important for adults as they provide a space to be yourself without judgment. We need places where we can go and sit down, talk with others, or just be quiet.

3 Minutes Speech on Games

Games are a major form of entertainment. They are also a way to alleviate stress and anxiety. Games have been around for a long time and they continue to evolve in terms of content, technology, and art.

The importance of games can be seen in their popularity among the youth. According to a study conducted by the Entertainment Software Association, the average age of gamers is 34 years old but an increasing number of people are playing games at an older age.

Games have become more than just an escape from reality – they can also be used as a tool for education, training, and therapy.

Games are a great way to get your body moving and exercising. They can be used as an effective tool in getting your body into shape.

There are many games that you can play to help you get into shape. These games range from simple ones like walking, running, and biking to more complex ones like Crossfit, boxing, and yoga.

Playing games for physical fitness is a great way to get yourself moving while also having fun at the same time!

With the increasing number of people in the world, we need more playgrounds for them to play.

Playgrounds are a place where children can play and have fun. They provide a space for children to be free from their daily worries and just have some time to themselves. Sometimes they can even learn new things while playing at the playground.

The problem with playgrounds is that they tend to become too crowded due to lack of space, which increases the risk of accidents happening.

5 Minutes Speech on Games

Games are important in every society. They teach us how to problem-solve, cooperate and work with others. They also help us learn skills like math and reading. Games have a significant impact on our lives and we should make sure that they have a positive impact on society as well.

Games are important because they teach us how to problem solve, cooperate and work with others. They also help us learn skills like math and reading. Games have a significant impact on our lives and we should make sure that they have a positive impact on society as well.

Games are a popular pastime for many people. They offer the opportunity to learn and practice skills such as problem-solving, decision-making, and collaboration.

As games grow in popularity, more companies are using them as effective learning tools for their employees.

Playing games for physical fitness can be a fun way of staying in shape. Games are designed to test your skills, endurance, and coordination.

Playing games for physical fitness is becoming popular with the rise of gaming culture and the popularity of video games. The most common game is “Pong” which is played on a table tennis-like surface with two players trying to score points by hitting a ball back and forth across the table. Other popular games include “Guitar Hero”, “Super Smash Brothers”, “Mario Kart” and “Tetris”.

There are many ways in which these games can be used for physical fitness such as:

– Playing these games at home or during free time to reduce sedentary behavior

– Playing these games in group settings such as gyms or sporting events

– Playing these games at work during lunch breaks or after work hours

A playground is a place where children can play, run and have fun in a safe environment. It is essential to provide children with the freedom to explore and learn new things.

Playgrounds are important for both the physical and cognitive development of children. They help them build their skills, improve coordination and social skills, develop creativity, and problem-solving abilities, and so on.

Although playgrounds are often considered an important part of childhood development, they are also crucial for adults who want to get back in shape or just need some time to relax.

Examples of sentences that can be used in starting of this speech

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Linguistics graduate describes how video game terms are being popularized in everyday speech

A Harvard linguistics graduate described how video game slang is making its way into the cultural lexicon in a video posted to TikTok on April 3.

Adam Aleksic, also known on social media as the etymologynerd, posted this video explaining how video game terms are being used in everyday speech.

In the footage, Aleksic explains how popular sports terms were adopted into common metaphors after certain sports were popularized and became part of a shared cultural knowledge. He notes how phrases such “on deck,” “swing and a miss,” or “out of left field,” came from baseball and originally meant one thing, but are now used to mean something else.

He predicts that as video games become a larger part of a shared cultural knowledge, popular terms associated with them will eventually take on more serious connotations.

Credit: @etymologynerd via Storyful

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Gemini 1.5 Pro Now Available in 180+ Countries; With Native Audio Understanding, System Instructions, JSON Mode and More

April 09, 2024

Grab an API key in Google AI Studio , and get started with the Gemini API Cookbook

Less than two months ago, we made our next-generation Gemini 1.5 Pro model available in Google AI Studio for developers to try out. We’ve been amazed by what the community has been able to debug , create and learn using our groundbreaking 1 million context window.

Today, we’re making Gemini 1.5 Pro available in 180+ countries via the Gemini API in public preview, with a first-ever native audio (speech) understanding capability and a new File API to make it easy to handle files. We’re also launching new features like system instructions and JSON mode to give developers more control over the model’s output. Lastly, we’re releasing our next generation text embedding model that outperforms comparable models. Go to Google AI Studio to create or access your API key, and start building.

Unlock new use cases with audio and video modalities

We’re expanding the input modalities for Gemini 1.5 Pro to include audio (speech) understanding in both the Gemini API and Google AI Studio. Additionally, Gemini 1.5 Pro is now able to reason across both image (frames) and audio (speech) for videos uploaded in Google AI Studio, and we look forward to adding API support for this soon.

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1. System instructions : Guide the model’s responses with system instructions, now available in Google AI Studio and the Gemini API. Define roles, formats, goals, and rules to steer the model's behavior for your specific use case. Set System Instructions easily in Google AI Studio 2. JSON mode : Instruct the model to only output JSON objects. This mode enables structured data extraction from text or images. You can get started with cURL, and Python SDK support is coming soon. 3. Improvements to function calling : You can now select modes to limit the model’s outputs, improving reliability. Choose text, function call, or just the function itself.

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Starting today, developers will be able to access our next generation text embedding model via the Gemini API. The new model, text-embedding-004 , (text-embedding-preview-0409 in Vertex AI ), achieves a stronger retrieval performance and outperforms existing models with comparable dimensions, on the MTEB benchmarks .

These are just the first of many improvements coming to the Gemini API and Google AI Studio in the next few weeks. We’re continuing to work on making Google AI Studio and the Gemini API the easiest way to build with Gemini. Get started today in Google AI Studio with Gemini 1.5 Pro, explore code examples and quickstarts in our new Gemini API Cookbook , and join our community channel on Discord .

The Sports Report: Will Kawhi Leonard play in Game 1 for the Clippers?

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Howdy, I’m your host, Houston Mitchell. Let’s get right to the news.

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From Broderick Turner : As coach Ty Lue prepared his Clippers this week to face the Dallas Mavericks in the playoffs Sunday, he was asked if part of his game plan included not having Kawhi Leonard in Game 1.

“No, I’m preparing for him, to have him on the court,” Lue said before practice Wednesday.

That was the strongest statement Lue has made yet about Leonard’s availability, even though it wasn’t a full declaration that his star would play in the first game of the first-round best-of-seven series.

Leonard missed the last eight regular-season games with right-knee inflammation .

He has been limited in practice Tuesday and Wednesday.

Lue was asked if all goes well with Leonard ramping up at the practices means his best player is a go for the first game.

“Yeah, not sure yet,” Lue said. “Just like I said, letting medical take over and you know, whatever is the best thing for Kawhi, making sure you protect him first. But whatever is best for him is what we’re going to do. Not sure of the minutes yet, or how long he’ll be able to play. So we’re just, we just kind of wait and take it day by day.”

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NBA PLAYOFFS SCHEDULE

All times Pacific

Play-in tournament

Western Conference

Friday No. 9 Sacramento at No. 7 New Orleans, 6:30 p.m., TNT

Eastern Conference

Wednesday No. 7 Philadelphia 105, No. 8 Miami 104 No. 9 Chicago 131, No. 10 Atlanta 116

Friday No. 9 Chicago at No. 8 Miami, 4 p.m., ESPN

Note: Winner of the Nos. 7 vs. No. 8 game advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. Loser of the game advances to a second play-in game to play the winner of the game between the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds. The winner of that game become the No. 8 seed in their respective conference.

FIRST ROUND

No. 1 Oklahoma City vs. No. 8 TBA Sunday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT Wednesday at Oklahoma City, 6:30 p.m., TNT Saturday, April 27 at TBA, 12:30 p.m., TNT Monday, April 29 at TBA, TBD *Wednesday, May 1 at Oklahoma City, TBD *Friday, May 3 at TBA, TBD *Sunday, May 5 at Oklahoma City, TBD

No. 2 Denver vs. No. 7 Lakers Saturday at Denver, 5:30 p.m., ABC Monday at Denver, 7 p.m., TNT Thursday at Lakers, 7 p.m., TNT Saturday, April 27 at Lakers, 5:30 p.m., ABC *Monday, Aprill 29 at Denver, TBD *Thursday, May 2 at Lakers, TBD *Saturday, May 4 at Denver, TBD

No. 3 Minnesota vs. No. 6 Phoenix Saturday at Minnesota, 12:30 p.m., ESPN Tuesday at Minnesota, 4:30 p.m., TNT Friday, April 26 at Phoenix, 7:30 p.m., ESPN Sunday, April 28 at Phoenix, 6:30 p.m., TNT *Tuesday, April 30 at Minnesota, TBD *Thursday, May 2 at Phoenix, TBD *Saturday, May 4 at Minnesota, TBD

No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Sunday at Clippers, 12:30 p.m., ABC Tuesday at Clippers, 7 p.m., TNT Friday, April 26 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ESPN Sunday, April 28 at Dallas, 5 p.m., ABC *Wednesday, May 1 at Clippers, TBD *Friday, May 3 at Dallas, TBD *Sunday, May 5 at Clippers, TBD

No. 1 Boston vs. No. 8 TBA Sunday at Boston, 10 a.m., ABC Wednesday at Boston, 4 p.m., TNT Sat., April 27 at TBA, 3 p.m., TNT Mon., April 29 at TBA, TBD *Wed., May 1 at Boston, TBD *Friday, May 3 at TBA, TBD *Sunday, May 5 at Boston, TBD

No. 2 New York vs. No. 7 Philadelphia Saturday at New York, 3 p.m., ESPN Monday at New York, 4:30 p.m., TNT Thursday, April 25 at Philadelphia, 4:30 p.m., TNT Sunday, April 28 at Philadelphia, 10 a.m., ABC *Tuesday, April 30 at New York, TBD *Thursday, May 2 at Philadelphia, TBD *Saturday, May 4 at New York, TBD

No. 3 Milwaukee vs. No. 6 Indiana Sunday at Milwaukee, 4 p.m., TNT Tuesday at Milwaukee, 5:30 p.m., NBA TV Friday, April 26 at Indiana, 2:30 p.m., ESPN Sunday, April 28 at Indiana, 4 p.m., TNT *Tuesday, April 30 at Milwaukee, TBD *Thursday, May 2 at Indiana, TBD *Saturday, May 4 at Milwaukee, TBD

No. 4 Cleveland vs. No. 5 Orlando Saturday at Cleveland, 10 a.m., ESPN Monday at Cleveland, 4 p.m., NBA TV Thursday at Orlando, 4 p.m., NBA TV Saturday, April 27 at Orlando, 10 a.m., TNT *Tuesday, April 30 at Cleveland, TBD *Friday, May 3 at Orlando, TBD *Sunday, May 5 at Cleveland, TBD

*-if necessary

From Mike DiGiovanna : Dodgers right-hander Landon Knack recovered from a brutal two-run, three-hit, 28-pitch first inning in his big-league debut to blank the Washington Nationals on one hit over the next four innings and keep the Dodgers within striking distance on Wednesday.

But the Dodgers never struck.

An offense that ranks second in the major leagues in runs and homers and fourth in on-base-plus-slugging percentage mustered only five hits off Nationals starter Jake Irvin and three relievers in a 2-0 loss before a matinee crowd of 44,428 in Chavez Ravine.

The top four batters in the Dodgers’ lineup, who had produced a big-league best .342 average and .973 OPS entering Wednesday, had only three hits — all singles by Shohei Ohtani — and one walk and struck out twice in 16 plate appearances. The Dodgers were hitless in seven at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Dodgers box score

MLB standings

Anthony Rendon and Taylor Ward hit run-scoring singles off struggling closer Pete Fairbanks in the ninth inning and the Angels beat the Tampa Bay Rays 5-4 on Wednesday night.

Fairbanks (0-2) has 9.00 ERA in eight games this season with seven earned runs given up in seven innings.

Amed Rosario gave the Rays a 4-3 lead with a two-run homer in the eighth off Hunter Strickland (1-0), who gave up a two-out single in a scoreless ninth to seal the win.

Angels box score

UCLA FOOTBALL

From Ben Bolch : He roams the practice field he once ruled, accommodating a malleable cast of characters.

UCLA ’s football-launching machine is on the fritz? DeShaun Foster flips balls into the air so his punt returners don’t waste any time in spring practice.

A herd of recruits want to visit? Foster lingers to greet every one, the smiles genuine, the handshakes firm.

Reporters want answers? Foster provides transparent injury updates, gives specifics about his plans, explains his thinking.

Lest he leave any doubt about who’s in charge, Foster provided a firm reminder when asked about his level of ownership in what’s going on.

“I mean, this is my team, there’s no question about that,” Foster said, “so there’s no putting my stamp on it; what we do is what I want, you know?”

USC FOOTBALL

From Ryan Kartje : Until Lincoln Riley was standing in his living room, late one night last December, DeCarlos Nicholson hadn’t given much serious consideration to leaving Mississippi. He’d spent his entire life in the state. His family lived there. His son had been born there. Everything he knew was within a few hundred miles radius of Hattiesburg.

But now here was USC ’s head coach, asking the cornerback to consider moving a world away. Just come visit, he told Nicholson and his family. See what L.A. has to offer.

Riley wasn’t sure, at first, if they would. “I think in the beginning it was kind of a little bit far-out-there for them,” he said.

Nicholson had only really entertained the thought of leaving home once before, committing out of junior college in 2021 to Kentucky. But that December, on early signing day, Nicholson flipped at the last minute to Mississippi State. Starkville was just a two-hour drive from home.

“I always talked about people getting out of Mississippi and putting Mississippi on the map, so to speak,” Nicholson said. “I guess I was kind of scared to do it.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

From Thuc Nhi Nguyen : Caitlin Clark already heard her name called once this week, but the most heralded No. 1 draft pick in WNBA history is still in contention to make an even more exclusive roster this summer.

Before even playing a WNBA game, Clark has already become a key figure in the U.S. Olympic roster discussion as the United States goes for its eighth consecutive Olympic gold medal this summer in Paris. The Iowa star was invited to participate in the senior national team’s training camp in April, but could not attend as the Hawkeyes advanced to the Final Four on the same weekend.

A six-person committee, which is led by U.S. 3x3 head coach Jennifer Rizzotti and South Carolina head coach Dawn Staley and includes former star player Seimone Augustus, will make the final decision. Cheryl Reeve, who is taking over national tem head coach duties from Staley, will not play a significant role in the selection process. The Minnesota Lynx coach and president of basketball operations is happy to sit this one out.

NHL standings

THIS DATE IN SPORTS

1908 — Tommy Burns knocks out Jewey Smith in the fifth round in Paris to retain the world heavyweight title.

1946 — Jackie Robinson debuts as a second baseman for the Montreal Royals.

1959 — The Montreal Canadiens win their fourth consecutive Stanley Cup with a 5-3 victory over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the fifth game.

1962 — Boston’s Bill Russell scores 30 points and grabs 40 rebounds to lead the Celtics to a 110-107 overtime win over the Lakers and their fourth consecutive NBA title. Russell’s 40-rebound effort matches his NBA Finals record set on March 29, 1960.

1966 — Bill Russell is named the coach of the Boston Celtics to become the first Black man to be head coach of an NBA team.

1984 — Joan Benoit runs world record female marathon.

1987 — Philadelphia’s Mike Schmidt hits his 500th home run with two out in the ninth to rally the Phillies to an 8-6 victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates at Three Rivers Stadium.

1988 — Ibrahim Hussein of Kenya battles past Juma Ikangaa of Tanzania in the final 100 yards to win the Boston Marathon by 1 second, the closest ever.

1995 — Quarterback Joe Montana announces his retirement from football.

1998 — NFL Draft: Tennessee quarterback Peyton Manning first pick by Indianapolis Colts.

1999 — Wayne Gretzky ends his NHL career at Madison Square Garden with an assist, setting up a second-period goal as his New York Rangers fall to Pittsburgh 2-1 in overtime. Before the game, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman announces the league is retiring No. 99 in honor of “The Great One.”

2001 — A.C. Green plays in his 1,192th consecutive game, which remains the NBA record. His streak began on November 19, 1986.

2005 — Defending champion Catherine Ndereba of Kenya becomes the first woman to win a fourth Boston Marathon.

2007 — Mark Buehrle of the Chicago White Sox faces the minimum 27 batters in a 6-0 no-hit victory over the Texas Rangers. Buehrle walks Sammy Sosa with one out in the fifth, then promptly picks him off first base.

2008 — NBA owners give approval of a potential Seattle SuperSonics’ relocation to Oklahoma City in a 28–2 vote by the Board of Governors.

2017 — Portuguese superstar Cristiano Ronaldo becomes first player to score 100 goals in the Champions League.

Compiled by the Associated Press

Until next time...

That concludes today’s newsletter. If you have any feedback, ideas for improvement or things you’d like to see, email me at [email protected] , and follow me on Twitter at @latimeshouston . To get this newsletter in your inbox, click here .

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Houston Mitchell is an assistant sports editor, writer of the Dodgers Dugout newsletter and editor of all of the sports newsletters for the Los Angeles Times.

More From the Los Angeles Times

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April 18, 2024

Scottie Scheffler wins the 2024 Masters Tournament, joining select group of golfers who have earned the title twice

Scottie Scheffler has won the 2024 Masters Tournament, joining the select group of 17 golfers who have earned the title twice in their careers.

With Sunday's victory, Scheffler is the fourth-youngest golfer to win multiple green jackets, behind Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Seve Ballesteros.

Scheffler is living in rarefied air. He finished the 88th Masters at 11-under and won by four strokes. The victory made it three wins in his last four events and his second major victory in his previous three trips to Augusta.

Masters debutant Ludvig Åberg finished second at 7-under. Max Homa, Collin Morikawa and Tommy Fleetwood finished in a tie for third at 4-under.

Scheffler went off as the betting favorite at +400. Since 1985, only one golfer (Tiger Woods in 2005) had gotten off at +450 odds or shorter and went on to win the Masters.

The week was not without drama and possibly unprecedented circumstances for the world No. 1. In the final weeks of her pregnancy, Meredith Scheffler was unable to make the trip with Scottie. He went as far as to mention that should she go into labor during the tournament, he would leave at a moment’s notice.

Despite an early tournament weather delay Thursday, gusting winds through the weekend and impending fatherhood, Scheffler was able to remain dialed in and gain over four strokes total to the field, a feat with which he is all too familiar. He has gained at least four strokes to the field more often than anyone else in the world this season.

With the win, Scheffler earned 100 world ranking points, 600 FedEx Cup points, his second green jacket and $3.6 million.

Here's how Scheffler's win and the final day of the Masters played out:

The final pairing of the final round is off the first tee. Scheffler and Morikawa each hit picturesque opening drives Sunday afternoon.

If Morikawa were to claim his first green jacket, it would be his third major championship and leave him a U.S. Open title away from achieving the career Grand Slam.

Cam Smith has closed to within five shots of Scheffler. He is -2 for the day and -3 overall through three holes. Farther down the leaderboard, Tom Kim carded a final-round 66 to finish at +5 for the tournament.

More NBC Sports coverage

• Tiger Woods shares moment with Verne Lundquist on 16 during Masters final round
• Different times for Scottie Scheffler as he seeks second green jacket at Masters
• Highlights from Day 2 of the 2024 Masters

Åberg birdied the second with a smooth 22-foot putt. Sitting at +600 on the live odds board, Åberg aims to become the first debutant to win the Masters since Fuzzy Zoeller in 1979. Shortly after Åberg and Homa birdied the second, Scheffler (+100) saved par on No. 2, maintaining his one-stroke lead over Morikawa and Homa. Xander Schauffele (+2500), now 1-under on his round, is another contender just four back of Scheffler.

Scheffler (now -140 odds to win) birdies No. 3 and leads Morikawa (+400) and Homa (+500) by two shots. Åberg (+700) has played well tee to green thus far in the final round but has missed a few putts and sits at -5 overall. Tommy Fleetwood (+4000) is 2 under par for the day through seven holes to join the party. He is now 3-under along with Bryson DeChambeau (+4000), the 2020 U.S. Open winner, who has birdied holes 4 and 5 after having bogeyed two of the first three holes.  

Morikawa gets up and down at No. 4 to save par, while Scheffler (-105) fails to convert the par save. Now just one back from the world No. 1, Morikawa is +400 to win the Masters. Phil Mickelson finishes this year’s tournament with a 2-over 74 round and 8-over overall, earning him the Top Senior honors. 

Scheffler (-110) misses a shortish birdie putt on No. 5 but remains the leader by one shot over Homa (+400) and Morikawa (+330). Fleetwood (+8000) is trying to make a Sunday charge. He is 2-under for the day and 3-under for the tournament through 8. Tyrrell Hatton (+150000) is 5-under through 14 and 2-under for the tournament.

Defending champion Jon Rahm (+750 per tournament odds) concludes his trip at Augusta. The LIV superstar failed to get anything going this week and finished outside the top 40. Shortly after the conclusion of Rahm’s round, Scheffler left his long birdie bid on No. 6 short. He remains one stroke ahead of Morikawa (+400) and Homa (+500). But Åberg (+400) just stuck his approach on seven; he’s inching closer toward history.  

Tree trouble for Scheffler on the seventh hole results in another missed green for the 2022 champion and, ultimately, a bogey . Scheffler (+115) is now tied with Morikawa (+360) and Åberg (+230). Morikawa has put himself consistently in position to score Sunday afternoon but has been unable to cash in on a handful of birdie putts. Homa (+550) is now back within a shot with Fleetwood (+9000), and DeChambeau (+5500) is within 3.

Homa (+400) cleans up his short birdie putt on eight and now moves to 6 under par for the tournament. He was briefly tied for the lead before Scheffler (-110), who has a bounce-back birdie or better percentage of 43% this season, and Morikawa (+230), who had not made a birdie since No. 8 Saturday, both birdied the eighth.

A three-shot swing in the final pairing as world No. 1 Scheffler (-175) follows up his birdie on No. 8 with another on No. 9 while Morikawa (+1800) makes double bogey after failing to make it out of a greenside bunker. Åberg (+260) sits alone in second just a single shot behind Scheffler. 

After an untimely double bogey on No. 9, Morikawa (+2500) failed to bounce back with a birdie. The two-time major champion finds himself four back of Scheffler (-250), who just drained a seven-foot birdie putt for his third straight birdie. Meanwhile, Fleetwood’s (+15000) nice 3-under round has him in solo fifth place.

Pars are in short supply all of a sudden as the four players atop the leaderboard have each made a bogey or worse in the last 10 minutes. Åberg (+850) started the parade with a double bogey at 11. Scheffler (-550) followed with a bogey at 11. Morikawa (+9000) doubles No. 11, and minutes later Homa (+1100) double bogeys No. 12. Fleetwood (+15000) is the beneficiary, as he is making pars and making up ground, sitting now at -4 through 15 holes. Scheffler leads at -8. Åberg and Homa are tied for second at -5, followed by Fleetwood.

The carnage continues through Amen Corner; however, Scheffler (-500) was able to find the green on No. 12 and finish the hole with a par, maintaining a three-stroke lead over Åberg (+400) and Homa (+1200). After he failed to convert the birdie attempt, the window for Morikawa (+20000) is closing. With just six holes to play, mistake-free golf is the recipe for the leader, Scheffler.

Nobody is playing better late in the day than Fleetwood, but his putter has not heated up on the back nine as required if he is to put on the green jacket at day’s end. With only No. 18 remaining, he sits at -4, five shots behind Scheffler (-750 to win), who just birdied the par-5 13th hole. Åberg has climbed back within striking distance and is 7-under through 14 following back-to-back birdies. 

Scheffler is dialed in right now. With a two-stroke lead over Åberg, he stuck it within a foot on No. 14. Make that back-to-back birdies for the Texas native. He now moves three clear of Åberg and is an overwhelming -3500 favorite. Amid all the action, on 15, Åberg found the trees off the tee and was forced to lay up on the reachable par 5. Holes are running out for those trailing. It almost feels like Scheffler’s tournament to lose.

Scheffler began the Masters as an overwhelming favorite, and he is delivering as advertised. Closing in on his second Masters championship, he is now three holes from victory following a par on the 15th hole to maintain his three-stroke advantage over Åberg. Homa and Morikawa sit five shots off the pace. Fleetwood has posted a round of 69 to finish the tournament at 4 under par.  

After a solid approach on 16, Scheffler took a long look at the leaderboard as he walked toward the green. Soaking it in with three holes remaining and a three-stroke lead, it must now start to feel real. He is inching closer to history and joining the select group of multi-major winners. That moment didn’t faze him in the least. Scheffler stood over his lengthy putt and dropped it right down the center of the cup. He’s standing on No. 17 with a four-stroke lead and the betting odds taken off the board.

On Sunday, the back nine at Augusta is supposed to bring golfers to their knees. Not the case with the leader, Scheffler. The world No. 1 has been dominant on the closing nine with four birdies and is in control, sitting at 11 under par through 17 holes. He is a couple of swings away from another major championship.

Brad Thomas is an NBC Sports Betting Analyst

Hero hockey fan blocks out-of-play puck from hitting 4-year-old boy

Asia Davis went viral on TikTok looking for the man who saved her son.

A fun night at the hockey rink could have had a tragic ending, if not for a speedy Good Samaritan who saved the day.

Asia Davis and her 4-year-old son, Nasir, were watching the American Hockey League Cleveland Monsters recently when a puck flew out of play, directly toward the young boy inside Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse.

Fortunately, a fast-acting man seated near the pair reached out his arm and blocked the puck, preventing what could have been a catastrophe.

"That puck was coming so fast, you know. Especially when I realized it was coming, it was already there," Davis told ABC News Cleveland affiliate WEWS-TV . "He doesn't realize he almost got taken out by a hockey puck."

The moment was caught on video, but Davis said she didn't catch the man's name, so she turned to TikTok to help track him down.

Davis asked viewers on the social media app to help her find the man who saved her son, and the video quickly went viral

The Monsters caught wind of Davis' TikTok and helped track down Andrew Podolak.

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"I was just coming out and trying to enjoy a hockey game and next thing you know everything blowing up on social media, this that and the other and a whole bunch of people contacting me," Podolak told WEWS. "Its truly a good feeling."

After the heartwarming tale of heroism and gratitude made the rounds online, Davis and her son reunited with Podolak at center ice for a ceremonial puck drop on Saturday.

"I'm really thankful that he was there," Davis said. "Thanks to Andrew, everything was fine."

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