Enjoying a good video game every so often can provide significant benefits, from stress relief to improved cognitive functioning聽鈥 but excessive and obsessive gaming could just as easily damage your mental health, a major new review from Oxford scientists suggests.
, offers the most comprehensive examination of the causal link between gaming and mental health, its authors tell the Star.
After reviewing and compiling the results of around 120 research papers, the authors determined 13 different mechanisms through which gaming could affect our mental well-being.
Creator聽Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, frustrated with Doug Ford’s plan to remove bike lanes in Toronto, coded the impossible-to-beat video game in just
Creator聽Marie LeBlanc Flanagan, frustrated with Doug Ford’s plan to remove bike lanes in Toronto, coded the impossible-to-beat video game in just
“I really encourage people to look at this list and think, is this something that I’m experiencing?” said Nick Ballou, the study’s lead author and a post-doctoral researcher at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII). “If so, when? Is it in particular games? Is it when I’m playing with particular people? Is it in a particular game mode?”
“Think really carefully about what games you play, what you’re getting out of it and who you’re playing it with,” he continued, encouraging parents to foster similar reflection in their children if they play video games.
The paper, published in peer-reviewed journal聽Technology, Mind, and Behavior, separates each mechanism based on their effects on mental health聽鈥 either positive, negative or potentially positive and negative. Here’s what it found.
The mental health benefits of video games
Video games can provide a variety of mental health benefits, depending on the types of games one plays and their attitude toward them. According to the paper, these can include:
Better brain health:聽Some research suggests games, especially fast-paced, action-oriented titles, can help improve executive functioning, working memory and attention control. These benefits can also help聽the gamer to better deal with stress and regulate their emotions in the long-run.
Deeper meaning and new perspectives:聽Games with moral choices or complex narratives can foster a sense of meaning, appreciation and sometimes nostalgia in gamers who become emotionally attached to storylines, characters or other players. A good story can also introduce new perspectives.
鈥淭he objective is dead simple 鈥 just make a mess,鈥 the developer of 鈥淭rash Panda鈥 tells the Star. The game is now available on Steam.
鈥淭he objective is dead simple 鈥 just make a mess,鈥 the developer of 鈥淭rash Panda鈥 tells the Star. The game is now available on Steam.
Identity development: Games that challenge one’s worldview, allow interactions with other players and allow gamers to experiment with their identity through character creation and role-playing in a safe space can help solidify one’s own identity, especially for young players.
Video games as therapy:聽There exist games designed to administer anxiety interventions or gamify cognitive behavioural therapy. Research suggests these options have yielded benefits, potentially by making treatment easier and more enjoyable.
Exercise games:聽Exergames聽鈥 or games that incorporate physical activity, like “Dance Dance Revolution” or “Ring Fit Adventure”聽鈥 can boost physical activity, as well as its associated health and mental health benefits.
How video games could harm your mental health
Gaming can also result in serious physical, psychological and financial harms in the following ways:聽
Gaming disorder:聽Some people may become unable to control their gaming habits, even when it interferes with their daily life. This compulsion can lead to social withdrawal, mental health issues including depression, poor performance at work or school and more.
Research shows phone use can affect attention span and is correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, stress and loneliness. So what can
Research shows phone use can affect attention span and is correlated with higher rates of depression, anxiety, stress and loneliness. So what can
Sexualization and misogyny:聽Exposure to games featuring sexualized content, especially in the presentation of female characters, can lead to body dysmorphia or dissatisfaction (especially in women) and more misogynistic attitudes (especially in men).
Displacement of other activities:聽Video game addiction can displace more beneficial activities聽鈥 like sleep, physical activity, social engagements and school work 鈥 leading to feelings of guilt, loneliness and lower life satisfaction.聽
Financial harms:聽Games featuring predatory monetization schemes like “pay-to-win” in-game transactions and loot boxes can lead to overspending and nurture gambling-like behaviours, or prey on people who already have gambling problems.
How video games could either hurt or help you
Games can also have ambivalent effects that can either be positive or negative. These include:
Gaming as a coping mechanism: Many turn to video games to cope with real life issues from unemployment to loneliness. If used responsibly, gaming can reduce stress and provide mental health benefits. But excessive coping can lead to emotional dysregulation and reduced long-term mental resilience.
Autonomy, belonging and competence:聽Gaming can satisfy these three basic psychological needs, by allowing players opportunities for customization, interactions with others, and to overcome problems. But it can also cause frustration with one’s life, manifesting as feelings of coercion, failure and loneliness.
The survey of more than 10,000 students in grades 7 to 12 highlights a “worrying” decline in youth mental health, the Centre for Addiction and
The survey of more than 10,000 students in grades 7 to 12 highlights a “worrying” decline in youth mental health, the Centre for Addiction and
Socialization: Multiplayer games can help players develop trusting relationships, reduce loneliness and introduce new worldviews. On the flip side, it can also nurture toxicity, harassment and bullying聽鈥 especially when playing with strangers.
Passion or obsession:聽It can be beneficial to have a balanced, passionate and meaningful relationship with gaming. But when this tips into obsession聽鈥 which may happen when gaming is used to compensate for difficulties in daily life聽鈥 it can lead to poor outcomes including procrastination and tension.
Are certain game genres worse than others?
There’s no genre that’s “inherently problematic,” according to Ballou 鈥 although some titles may be more appealing to people more prone to the negative effects of gaming.
For example, research shows there are higher rates of problematic gaming in genres like massively multiplayer online games, like “World of Warcraft,” or multiplayer online battle arena games like “League of Legends.” That doesn’t mean the games themselves are bad; they just tend to attract a certain type of player base.
“People can get positive experiences out of whatever kinds of games they’re playing. It’s just a matter of the right match between the player, the game, and their ability to regulate playing.”
As a daily gamer himself, Ballou said he no longer plays competitive games after conducting this review: “After some serious soul searching, I realized that they were at least not giving me as many positive experiences as the single player games that I now tend to gravitate toward. At worst, they were actively causing me to feel poorly after I was done playing.”
“There鈥檚 no single answer to how gaming affects mental health,” Andrew Przybylski, senior author of the study and a professor at the OII, said in a statement. “But our framework helps cut through the noise. By focusing on cause and effect, we hope this work encourages better theory development, and ultimately better digital well-being for players.”
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