For all the crap they often get, sometimes video games can be really good.
I’ve spent a decent amount of time this weekend playing Shadow of Mordor with my nephew. (He’s 11 and terrible at the game.)
It’s been good though to help him learn about the consequences of actions. Apparently if you run through a hoard of Uruk, you are likely to die. And stealth and patience aren’t exactly strong suits in youth.
(Which makes me question how TY ever got good enough at StarCraft to debut professionally at age 12, but that’s a completely different story.)
But it’s been good to do some problem solving with him and talk him through ways to isolate targets and then attack them one on one.
He’s still not good enough to do that before other Uruk appear, but that may come with time.
So video games can improve problem solving in youth.