But, you can explain to your mother later that social media and online games can teach skills that can be difficult to teach in normal school curricula–like time managements, teamwork and creative problem solving.

Here’s how Mashable breaks down how social media and gaming mechanics can have a positive affect on education:

Status Update and Checkins
Whether high school students or college students send a tweet or a Facebook status to their entire network about a goal they have, it becomes more real, especially if people comment on it and provide feedback. As with the status updates, checkins make people feel like they’re not alone–they’re traveling with someone else. Plus, it also adds a bit of a healthy competitive edge. Both of these things are factors that could motivate students to work harder to reach their goals.

Leaderboards
Today in school, everybody is a winner; there are no losers. Leaderboards bring back that competitive edge to school in a way that’s completely powered by students’ own desire to do better. By comparing progress with each other’s peers, students are driven to move up the leaderboard. This tactic can give mundane school assignments a bit of a makeover.

Move Up the Levels
A little positive feedback never hurt nobody. Offering levels for students to move up in is a great motivator. Take the Cappex Cap Challenge (log in and start playing now!), for example. Not only do you get further in your college search, but the more you do for your college search, the more you move up levels and are rewarded virtual caps and real prizes.

What’s your take on social media and gaming in school?  Comment and share!