Digital playtime can be good for children's well-being, finds new report

New research from UNICEF Innocenti, produced in partnership with the University of Sheffield, New York University, City University New York and the Queensland University of Technology, explores the question of whether video games can contribute to the well-being of children, and if so, how? This research looked to the voices of the young, based on the scientific study of hundreds of children in six countries over many months.

The report is titled "Digital Technology, Play and Child Well-Being."

The research found something remarkable: Digital games can indeed contribute to the well-being of children. They can allow children to experience a sense of control, to have freedom of choice, to experience mastery and feelings of achievement. Digital games can support children in experiencing and regulating emotions and help them feel connected to others and manage those social connections. Children can imagine different possibilities, act on original ideas, make things, and explore, construct and express facets of themselves and others, all with the help of digital games.

But in order to support children and contribute to their well-being, games must be designed with their well-being in mind.

This research was produced as part of the Responsible Innovation in Technology for Children (RITEC) project, co-founded with the LEGO Group. It aims to create practical tools for businesses and governments that will empower them to put the well-being of children at the center of digital design.

The research forms the basis of RITEC's second report. The first report, released in 2022, revealed a newly developed well-being framework for children. Made up of eight child-centric well-being outcomes, the framework is a first step towards helping tech developers and policymakers develop a common understanding of how digital experiences can positively influence aspects of child well-being.