Study says playing video games does not appear to have an effect on mental health

Study says playing video games does not appear to have an effect on mental health

In terms of the gaming world, there are still a lot of ideas and associations that electronic games have some impact on the mental health and behavior of those who play them. And if we only focus on games with more violent content, such as weapons, deaths, thefts, etc., then, in this case, there is usually a tendency to assume that the player may become more aggressive because of playing them.

But as other sources previously pointed out, a recent study now indicates that video games do not appear to have a significant impact on gamers’ mental health. But let’s get acquainted with the results of this research.


Playing video games has no effect on mental health

According to the post Oxford University StudyIt was published by the newspaper generalVideo games do not appear to have a negative impact on the mental health of players. As such, the results of this same study seem to reassure parents and guardians of children and young adults in the sense of reinforcing the thesis that playing computer, or on other platforms, does not harm or negatively affect the behavior of the subject.

However, the study, which was revealed on Wednesday (27), confirms that there is a difference between the act of playing for pure pleasure, as an activity among others, and playing out of necessity, in the latter case, this may indeed be. It fits with the problem of dependence on the Internet and electronic games, as it already is over here We talked.

According to Andrew K. Przybylski, one of the study's authors, it's not the quantity that matters, but the quality of time spent playing that enhances feelings of well-being. The expert adds thatIf players feel they have to play, they feel worse. If they play for fun, the data does not indicate that it affects their mental health. It seems to give them a strong positive vibe.".

At the moment, this is the largest study ever conducted on this topic. For this purpose, approximately 40,000 players who shared information about their experience in real time over a six-week period were considered. Of the total 30 game publishers, only 7 agreed to cooperate and this was also the number of games analyzed, more specifically: Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Apex Legends, Eve Online, Forza Horizon 4, Gran Turismo Sport, Outriders and The Second Crew .

In short, the key thing about this is understanding whether a person is playing because they like them or because they miss them and need them to feel good. In the case of dependencies on electronic games, they promote many consequences, such as isolation, sleep disturbances, irritability, feeding problems, school difficulties, problems with socialization, and interference with daily activities, among others.

By Chris Skeldon

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