> For example, you'd assume that games that let children socialize would help them develop social skills, games that let them be creative would foster creativit

> For example, you'd assume that games that let children socialize would help them develop social skills, games that let them be creative would foster creativity, games that force them to think might benefit their reasoning skills, etc. (Of course these could all also be correlations rather than causative.) Then you have to consider, does the game benefit more than the IRL activities it replaces and are there better replacements? For instance, I'm highly skeptical that any game that "let[s] children socialize" would be superior at "develop[ing] social skills" than IRL socialization. Also, I could totally beleive video games boosts IQ more than passive TV watching, but less than IRL physical play, socialization, and reading.