And a Pac Man Shall Lead Us

And now, the news that every parent dreads. Researchers are reporting today that first-person-shooter video games the kind that require players to kill or maim enemies or monsters that pop out of nowhere sharply improve visual attention skills.

That's the start of one of many recent stories on new research that has found violent video games are not the pure evil that many believe them to be. (Whether Pac Man is similarly socially and morally redeemable remains to be determined).

The lead researcher said

"You get better at a lot of things, not just the game,"

and she

emphasized that the improved visual attention skills did not translate to reading, writing and mathematics. Nor is it clear that they lead to higher I.Q. scores, although visual attention and reaction time are important components of many standardized tests.

Oh, and in other news: The state of Washington has just banned the sale of violent video games to minors.