http://teachertomsblog.blogspot.com/2025/09/the-sky-is-not-falling.html
var addthis_config = {“data_track_clickback”:true};
When contemplating analysis about training and studying, it is essential to learn past the headlines.
A significant information outlet just lately ran a narrative below the headline “Research finds video video games result in decreased tutorial motivation”. As a headline, it matches properly into a number of of the narratives on the market about kids, faculty, video video games, and the trendy world. There may be a substantial amount of conflicting info floating round in regards to the affect of video video games. Most of what we see within the mainstream media is anti-gaming, however there’s a rising physique of analysis that finds advantages from at the least some sorts of sport taking part in. I believe that the reality lies someplace in between, involving so many variables that it’s going to all the time come right down to a case-by-case foundation. A gaming situation that negatively impacts one child will show to be constructive to a different and impartial to most, like with just about every little thing.
I clicked the hyperlink desirous to know extra. When the article turned out to be the standard fear-mongering, I went on to the paper which was just lately revealed by The Cambridge Press. The research itself is entitled, “Longitudinal associations between gaming and tutorial motivation throughout center childhood.” The very first line of the research reads, “Youngster online game taking part in (“gaming”) might result in decreased little one tutorial motivation. Conversely, kids with low tutorial motivation might search success via gaming.” In different phrases, the research’s authors take no stand on trigger or impact. They solely observe that gaming and decrease tutorial motivation are statistically related.
To be trustworthy, the whole research appears to be a little bit of a waste of time, though it in all probability in some way strikes the needle in a method that can be helpful to future researchers. However the bottomline is that this research appears to search out that avid gamers are typically much less enthusiastic about faculty than non-gamers, however stops far quick saying that gaming causes low motivation because the “information” headline declares.
That is an instance of media fear-mongering, which is all too widespread in the case of mainstream reporting on instructional issues. For those who’re only a headline skimmer, you’ll consider that gaming, smartphones, and just about every little thing we older adults did not develop up with are harming a whole technology of kids. You’ll consider that we face an academic disaster, that our faculties are failing, and that oldsters are too distracted or lazy to care. And, you recognize, possibly all of these issues are true at some degree and for some kids, however the better reality is that “excellent news” headlines do not generate almost as many clicks as “dangerous”, and “impartial” information is not information in any respect, so we see the fear-mongering time and again as a result of that is how the payments receives a commission.
I am way more involved in regards to the affect of this fear-mongering on our youngsters than I’m about gaming. Concern-mongering causes dad and mom, educators, directors, and policy-makers to over-react, which too typically means placing extra restrictions on a technology of kids that’s already extra tightly managed than any earlier technology. It results in irrational requires extra lecturers, extra homework, longer faculty hours, and extra “self-discipline”, which nearly all the time means punishment. It requires taking away the video games and the telephones in the identical method we have just about abolished unsupervised play outdoor due to fear-mongering about stranger-danger. Finally, all of it results in much more nervousness and despair in our youth.
Nobody has ever stopped being afraid as a result of somebody advised them to not be afraid. However I’ve discovered that once I make an effort to dig a bit deeper, once I look behind the reporter’s lazy biases and click-bait headline, I virtually all the time uncover that the sky actually is not falling in any case.
******
I have been writing about play-based studying virtually daily for the previous 15 years. I’ve just lately gone again via the 4000+ weblog posts(!) I’ve written since 2009. Listed here are my 10 favourite in a nifty free obtain. Click on right here to get yours.
I put a number of effort and time into this weblog. If you would like to help me please take into account a small contribution to the trigger. Thanks!
