Back at the start of the month, when most of us were presumably focused on recovering from New Years festivities, Science released a perspective that discussed the role of games and other media in the development of cognitive skills. There is little doubt that the majority of kids are now immersed in an environment that’s rich in visual media, from television to online content, which represents a major shift from the developmental environment experienced by earlier generations. The perspective points out that this is clearly going to impact the skills people develop as they mature, and argues that we should be making adjustments for that.

The perspective was authored by Patricia Greenfield of UCLA, and she begins by emphasizing the role of what she terms “informal education.” Although this will include basic language and social skills, as well as factual information, Greenfield emphasizes that informal learning often involves the development of learning skills themselves. With the frequent use of educational DVDs and television programs, children are becoming adept at processing visual media and incorporating it into their educational process. Not surprisingly, this change has consequences for intellectual development.

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