Study shows video games build relationship skills Mason Lowrie, 12 , Bart Sheehy,11, Victoria Ferrier and Lliam Ferrier, 13, enjoying the video game experience. PARENTS worried about their children playing video games can relax - researchers have found it is actually good for them. Gaming improves young people's emotional, social and psychological wellbeing, and playing as a family can help build stronger relationships, according to findings by Queensland University of Technology. The study challenges the commonly held view that sitting in front of the computer creates anti-social, aggressive and lazy behaviour among teenagers. "We are seeing clear evidence of improvements in mood, stress reduction, increased feeling of competence and autonomy and really strong feelings of being connected with the people they are playing with," director of QUT's games research and interaction design lab Daniel Johnson said. Games that kids are playing require lots of strategy, require teamwork and while they're playing they're chatting about things going on in their life - so it's a social experience at the same time. A recent survey showed about 94 per cent of children aged 6-15 play video games regularly. Dr Johnson said parental involvement was the key, combined with playing age-appropriate games for moderate amounts of time - about 8-10 hours a week. "But how you play is more important than how much or what you play - so if kids are playing with friends or family and playing cooperatively, then that's really going to help them build relationships." he said. Evidence suggests children who don't play at all can be socially disadvantaged because they cannot engage with their peers in discussions about popular culture and Dr Johnson recommended a "balanced media diet." Victoria Ferrier, whose son Lliam, 13, plays video games 10 hours a week, often with his dad, said the findings flew in the face of everything she previously believed. "It surprised me because I was of the opinion they were 100 per cent bad for kids," she said. I even made Lliam save up his own pocket money to buy games.