For years detractors have tried to convince us that the increasing use of videogames by today’s generation of youth would have harmful effects – i.e. they won’t be able to socialize or communicate effectively having grown up in a world of dungeons and dragons.

As most of you know, my views run completely counter to this negative perception. In my new book, Grown up Digital (a sequel to my 1997 intro to the Net Generation: Growing up Digital) I make the argument that this exposure to gaming and technology has helped enable a truly global and inter-connected generation that sees civic action as a part of their regular routine.

Luckily I’m not alone. Some new research from the Pew Internet & American Life Survey and the MacArthur Foundation finds that nearly all of today’s youth play some kind of video game, 76% help their peers understand and play the games, and that 44% of them learn about problems in society from the games they play. Seems like the antithesis of the anti-social, anti-community views propagated by sceptics.

Amanda Lenhart, author of a report on the survey and a Senior Research Specialist with the Pew Internet & American Life Project, notes, “The stereotype that gaming is a solitary, violent, anti-social activity just doesn’t hold up. The average teen plays all different kinds of games and generally plays them with friends and family both online and offline.”

The survey certainly supports this view:

• 52% of gamers report playing games where they think about moral and ethical issues.
• 43% report playing games where they help make decisions about how a community, city or nation should be run.
• 40% report playing games where they learn about a social issue.

Now if only someone could design a financial services game for them…

You can read the full report here.