A recent study has discovered that families which play social games like those on Facebook are most likely to develop stronger relationships. So next time your mom or dad nags you about spending too much time on Farmville, pull up a chair and get them introduced to the wonderful world of online gaming, in the name of creating tighter bonds.
The research which has revealed this insightful tidbit was conducted by the Concordia University in Montreal. It basically tries to point out that social gaming can be more than just a great distraction. When other members of your family are playing the same title as you, it apparently creates a purpose of interaction and a meaningful way to fulfill your social obligations.
Researcher Kelly Boudreau, highlights that certain games like CityVille for example, are being played by different generations, even the elderly. This basically shows that social networks can help break down age and communication barriers. Geographical location isn’t an issue as well, since family members can play together from anywhere around the globe.
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So if you’ve got immediate or even distant family on Facebook flooding your notifications with annoying game requests and gifts, you could take out the time and accept the invites or offers and maybe even send some back, for the sake of better family ties. But it’s perfectly OK if you decide to skip on the opportunity, of course.
To conduct the research, Mia Consalvo and co-author Kelly Boudreau selected a group of social network gamers and used questionnaires as well as follow-up interviews to come to these conclusions.