Later: MSNBC analysis, “Video games can provide hands-on learning opportunities for kids that can be much more meaningful than reading a textbook.”
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The Pew Internet and American Life Project is out with a new study (pdf) today that finds game playing is universal: 98% of American teens ages 12-17 play some kind of video game. Game playing experiences are diverse, often involve social interaction, and can cultivate teen civic engagement.
From the MacArthur Foundation announcement:
A focus of the survey was the relationship between gaming and civic experiences among teens. The goal was to test concerns that gaming might be prompting teens to withdraw from their communities. It turns out there is clear evidence that gaming is not just an entertaining diversion for many teens; gaming can be tied to civic and political engagement. Indeed, youth have many experiences playing games that mirror aspects of civic and political life, such as thinking about moral and ethical issues and making decisions about city and/or community affairs. Not only do many teens help others or learn about a problem in society during their game playing, they also encounter other social and civic experiences:
- 52% of gamers report playing games where they think about moral and ethical issues.
- 43% report playing games where they help make decisions about how a community, city or nation should be run.
- 40% report playing games where they learn about a social issue.
Moreover, the survey indicates that youth who have these kinds of civic gaming experiences are more likely to be civically engaged in the offline world. They are more likely than others are to go online to get information about current events, to try to persuade others how to vote in an election, to say they are committed to civic participation, and to raise money for charity.
Read the related white paper on gaming & civic engagement (pdf).