Violent video games 'make you smarter'

London, April 23 (ANI): Contrary to claims that video games turn teenagers into violent criminals, a new research has shown that a bit of virtual blood-and-guts is actually good for brain.

The study, conducted by researchers from the Netherlands, has suggested that shoot-to-kill video games improve quick-thinking and make players more able to cope with the demands of modern life.

"Playing video games helps the natural reflexes, it makes players more responsive and able to switch between different tasks," the Sun quoted Assistant Professor Dr Lorenza Colzato, of Leiden University's psychology department, as saying.

"This type of thinking is very practical for the modern lifestyle where people are doing so many things at the one time.

"They may be checking their email, then taking a phone call. They need to be flexible.

"If someone likes violent video games it does not mean they will engage in anti-social behaviour. Parents should not be scared to let their children play video games," Colzato added.

Colzato said the skills learned from the video games would help people in fast-paced job and they could even help elderly people fight off the signs of ageing.

"If elderly people had a lot of problems with their thinking they could play video games to improve their minds," she said.

"This could become a common nursing home activity, it would be a successful strategy," she added.

The study was published in the journal Frontiers in Cognition. (ANI)