- Playing video games may not necessarily impair children's social skills, and a new study suggests that any behavioral effect that frequent gaming might have may occur only in pre-teen girls.
However, for both boys and girls, poor social competence at ages 8 and 10 predicted more time spent gaming two years later. And for girls only, the reverse was also true: girls who spent more time gaming at age 10 showed poorer social skills two years later than girls who devoted less time to video games.
The study wasn't designed to prove whether or how gaming might directly influence social development. "Children who struggle more socially may go online as it may be 'safer' than peer to peer interactions," Tomopoulos, who wasn't involved in the study, said by email.