I was just watching this Ted Talk by the charming Gabe Zichermann on the potential for learning in video games. Worried about your kids playing video games? Watch it.
But I would just like to insert a moment of whining. I have been asking video game designers for years why they don’t embed some math, philosophy, history, coding, or science into games. (The answers are always depressingly economic.) Things have gotten better over those years. But for the most part (with the two games he notes as exceptions) games do a fantastic job of engaging the mind, probably while building Neuroplasticity and potential, without making an actual effort to create genius in the minds they engage. I know. I know. Â This will likely change, too. But, you decide what games to buy. Game designers want to sell games. So think about it. And enjoy.