Most of the studies reported so far emphasize the potential addictive risk of new technologies and the influence they have on children's interpersonal development, by reducing the time children spend outside home and increasing the time they spend alone playing in front of a television or a computer screen 12. It is also known that the new technologies may affect children's academic performance by reducing the number of hours that they dedicate to studying.
There are few studies which focus on the positive aspects of new technologies and the opportunities that they offer new ways of interaction between professionals and users as well as the development of new therapeutic methods, capable of reaching the young.
New technologies, in particular video games, can be used as therapeutic tools to train executive functions 6, 7. As they generate greater motivation in children and adolescents they will increase the frequency of performing cognitive tasks oriented to enhance executive functions, especially the working memory. Previous computerized methods have been purposed and have shown to be better than traditional ones 13, 14.
There are key advantages for children practicing the TCT Method relative to traditional cognitive training therapies which include:
1) Increased motivation in children for completing cognitive training therapy. This increase in motivation comes from: entertainment value (these games are designed to be similar to regular video games that children enjoy) and feedback on performances relative to own and peer scores (which improves children’s sense of agency and self-efficacy, as demonstrated by documented research on motivation and learning) 12, 15.
2) Ease of accessing the application. Children can play the games at any place or time, day and night.