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Games are good for kids? This is news you probably didn’t expect to hear! It’s true, the MacArthurer foundation has come out with a new study that shows just that. It seems that social networks and online games can help increase social skills, research skills, and the general knowledge of technology. Since that’s the way our society is headed these days, it might become more crucial than ever that kids keep on playing.

On the flip side, if children don’t have access to online games and social networks they are going to lack the skills that are needed to get on in the world as computers become more prevalent at home, at school, and in the workplace. The problem lies not with the fact that we are becoming so digital, but in teachers and parents who stop at nothing to keep their kids from playing online games.

It’s no surprise- the older generation simply didn’t grow up this way. The trouble is that children and teens really do need these skills or they will be held back socially and technologically in their lives.

Some children become so good at using video games, computers, and the Internet that they gain the skills that will help them get a great job after school. Building webpages and tweaking game code are skills that are incredibly high in demand and will be in increasing amounts.

This study concludes that schools, teachers, and parents basically need to loosen the strict guidelines that hold students back from playing games and joining sites like MySpace and Facebook. Of course, this does not mean that safety is not an issue! While children need to be able to join and explore these sites, it is still up to the parent to make sure they are safe at all times. Monitoring your child is the best way to ensure this safety.

The next time you’re tempted to tell your kid to turn it off and get to learning, take a second and think about the skills they are really going to need to make it through life. Homework is important, but so is becoming adept with technology.

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