Games 'More Harmful To Grades' Than Social Media

Time wasted playing video games is more harmful to a child's education than time spent on social media.

Research in Northern Ireland has found that excessive use of video games is likely to have a detrimental effect on GCSE results.

A study of 14-16 year olds found that only 41% of children who played computer games twice a day achieved five good GCSE grades, compared to 77% of those who played rarely.

Meanwhile, 81% of young people say they spend several hours a day on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter but the study found no negative impact their exam performances.

Celine McStravick from NI's National Children's Bureau, which published the findings, said: "It's clear that social media doesn't have any impact and I think that's because social media is part and parcel of every child's life.

"It's the way they communicate and the way they keep in touch with their friends."

Researchers found that many of the children chose to play video games late into the night, which affected their concentration and focus at school.

"We need carers and parents to step in and limit excessive amounts of time spent gaming," Ms McStravick added.

"Young people are often so confident in their use of new technology that we can forget they need our support to establish good habits."

Computer game whizz Mark Starkey believes it is the immersive nature of 21st century video games that is to blame.

Mr Starkey owns the Heart of Gaming centre in northwest London which has thousands of classic and modern-day video games.

He told Sky News: "The ability to make games a lot bigger, a lot more detailed, a lot more intricate is here now and so it's going to hold their attention longer - a lot longer.

"You're left wanting to progress through the storyline. 'Oh, here's a cliffhanger', 'oh, I have to wait and see what happens next', whereas the old games challenge your hand/eye coordination and the speed of your reactions, rather than your imagination."