ANN ARBOR, Mich., Mar 25, 2009 (UPI via COMTEX) -- Using cell phones and
playing video games may not be as harmful to children's academic performance as
many think, U.S. researchers suggest.
A team of Michigan State University researchers found cell phones had no effect
on academic performance among a group of 12-year-olds.
Lead investigator Linda Jackson said the study found a strong relationship
between video games and lower grade point averages. However, playing video games
did not appear to affect math skills and had a positive relationship with
visual-spatial skills. These skills -- in which a child learns visually, by
thinking in pictures and images -- are considered the "training wheels" for
performance in science, technology, engineering and math.
"These are the areas where we want to see improvements in our children's
academic performance," Jackson said in a statement.
The researchers surveyed students from 20 middle schools and an after-school
center in Michigan. They asked how often the children used cell phones and
played video games, both online and offline, and measured the children's grades,
visual-spatial skills and performance on standardized tests in math and reading.
The researchers found females used cell phones more frequently than did males,
while males played video games far more frequently than did females.
The findings are published by the Conference Proceedings of the International
Association for Development of the Information Society.
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Copyright 2009 by United Press International