BBC America - Video Games Responsible For Higher IQ’s

By Richard Windsor | May 22, 2008

Jack Thompson is about to lose his license, E3 is not far off, and this summer looks to have some high quality games. So what could make things any better? How about finding out that playing video games can increase your IQ! I can hear you scoffing at me through your monitor, but according to the BBC show Newsnight that is just the case. Tomorrow night at 10 p.m. on BBC America they will run the story for the first time. Below is the teaser from their website.

An investigation into why children’s IQs are rising despite complaints from parents that their kids spend too much time playing video games and surfing the internet. This special report reveals that there’s some evidence to suggest that gaming is part of the reason why 21st century school children are apparently getting smarter.

I have not seen what info they have to back these claims up, so let’s just hope they have a bunch of smart people using big words during the show. I also hope their experts are British, because we all know a British accent makes you sound smarter.

http://www.aeropause.com/2008/05/bbc-america-video-games-responsible-for-higher-iqs/

May 23, 2008

TOPICS INCLUDE:

If John McCain succeeds in his bid for the White House, what kind of foreign policy can we expect? One of his most influential advisers is Robert Kagan, who argues that America must continue to wield its power in the world, to shape history in the interests of democracy. McCain himself has described Kagan's new book, The Return Of History And The End Of Dreams as a "wake-up call." Jeremy Paxman talks to him about American power and the presidency.

An exclusive interview with the U.S. ambassador to Zimbabwe, James McGee, who was detained by authorities for investigating violent attacks on members of the opposition by Mugabe's ruling Zanu PF party. The ambassador graphically describes what he saw first hand - the vicious attacks on old women and young men alike - and his own response to the authorities that tried to detain him. Newsnight also hears from British journalist Peter Oborne who recently emerged from Zimbabwe with first hand accounts of violence and pictures to prove it. These distressing testimonies come as Zimbabwe's authorities set a date for the presidential run-off.

A disturbing report from Auroville in southern India, a unique community set up as a place where people of all nations could live together in harmony, with no money, no rules and no leaders. Both UNESCO and the Dalai Lama have endorsed the town and the Indian government subsidizes it. But many local people say the place exploits them - and, most controversially - sexually exploits their children.

An investigation into why children's IQs are rising despite complaints from parents that their kids spend too much time playing video games and surfing the internet. This special report reveals that there's some evidence to suggest that gaming is part of the reason why 21st century school children are apparently getting smarter.

Last week, Newsnight presented a colorful profile of Colombian artist Fernando Botero as he made an emotional return to his homeland. This week, the program soaks up the glamour of the International Film Festival in Cannes where reporter Steve Smith is showcasing his Botero film.

http://www.bbcamerica.com/content/300/thisweek.jsp

	May 23, 10:00 PM ET
	May 25, 8:00 AM ET
	May 30, 10:00 PM ET

Sounds interesting, I might watch that.

I wonder if it's really true..

Why don't we get such great programs on UK TV???

I suspect that children are becomming better in ways that we can measure in an IQ test ... Many videogames build logical problem solving skills, and help to develop pattern recognition but this may come at the expense of many social skills if children are exposed to videogames in excess.

I don't want to offend anyone, but something I have noticed through university and in the workplace is people who were home-schooled as children often turn out to be very strange adults; even children who were only home-schooled in primary school seem to lack many of the social skills most of us take for granted. I suspect that if a child was playing videogames at the expense of interaction with their peers it would result in very similar developmental problems.