Maura Welch on Social Media

Virtual Goods: the game changer

It looks like game dollars are shifting, not shrinking.
 
Video game sales revenue plummets 31 percent

while…
 
Virtual goods sales to hit $1 billion in 2009 as social games pay off big

Facebook good. Twitter bad.

...for your brain, that is. Social games and strategy games are thinking activities and good for your brain. Texting, Twitter, etc. are interrupt activities and mess up your brain action.

This via Raph Koster's blog:

Dr. Tracy Alloway of Scotland’s University of Stirling, says her study shows using Facebook stretches our “working memory” our short-term or recent memory, while Twitter, YouTube and text messages tend to weaken it.

Alloway studies working memory and has developed a training program to increase the performance of children – ages 11 to 14 – who are slow learners. She found:

• Keeping up-to-date with Facebook improved the children’s IQ scores
• Playing video games – especially those that require planning and strategy – and Sudoku also were beneficial
• Using Twitter, YouTube and text messaging does not engage enough of the brain to be helpful, and actually reduce attention span.