Playing video games can improve mental health and increase life satisfaction, according to a study (Image credit: iStock)
Playing video games It could have a positive impact Mental healthAccording to a large study conducted in Japan during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global supply chains were disrupted in 2020, demand for video game consoles, such as the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5 (PS5), increased. To manage this demand, Japanese retailers used a lottery system to determine who could buy these consoles.
Researchers took the opportunity to conduct a natural experiment to study the effects of video games. They surveyed nearly 98,000 people, including about 8,200 lottery entrants, and found that winning a console reduced psychological stress and increased life satisfaction. The study, published in the journal Nature Human Behavior, also found that playing video games improved overall mental well-being.
According to Nick Ballou, a postdoctoral researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute, specializing in the relationship between Games and mental healththe impact on players It was likely “minor but noticeable.” She noted that the unique circumstances of the pandemic, which generally worsened mental health and limited socializing and other pastimes, could have influenced the results. “We have a lot of evidence that people turned to gaming as a lifeline in the early part of the pandemic,” Ballou said, adding that her own research found that gaming helped some people deal with the mental toll of the pandemic.
Despite potential limitations, this study is one of the first to establish a causal link between video games and mental health. It also highlighted differences in the effects of different consoles, showing that PS5 ownership had a more significant impact on boys, men and “heavy gamers”, while the Nintendo Switch was more beneficial for girls, women and those new to gaming. Mike Cook, senior lecturer in computer science at King’s College London, commented on the findings saying: “This suggests a lot of interesting future questions about how different products affect our lives in different ways.”
However, gaming addiction remains a cause for concern. More than half of the European population regularly plays video games, and the industry generated €23.48 billion in 2022. Despite their popularity, video games have been a cause of concern for parents, policymakers and health experts. In 2018, the World Health Organization (WHO) controversially classified gaming disorder as a clinical syndrome characterized by a lack of control over gaming, prioritization of gaming over daily life, and continued gaming despite negative impacts on personal relationships and responsibilities.
In the UK, treatment for gaming addiction is available through the National Health Service (NHS) National Centre for Gaming Disorders, which received 745 referrals between October 2019 and March 2023. In addition, other studies have shown mixed results regarding the link between gaming, mental wellbeing, aggression and cognitive function.
The new research could help change perceptions about video games by distinguishing between those who benefit from them and those who suffer harm. “Vile defamation of video games still happens,” Ballou noted, “but overall, the conversation is now much more nuanced: For most people, most of the time, the benefits outweigh the bad, but there are certainly people who suffer harm.”
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