VIDEO games have a bad reputation, and parents are often concerned about just how long their children spend playing games.
However, a study has revealed that playing video games for up to several hours each day has a positive impact on people’s, and in particular children’s, health.
In 2019, the World Health Organization included ‘gaming disorder’ to the International Classification of Diseases.
Since then numerous studies have been carried out on the link between playing video games and their effect on people’s health, but the results have been mixed.
A new study carried out by Nihon University in Japan has found that gaming for up to three hours each day can have a positive effect on people’s mental health.
Researchers asked more than 8k people between the ages of 10 and 69 who had recently purchased a Nintendo Switch or PS5 about their gaming habits and psychological distress.
As reported by New Scientist, players who had recently purchased a console reported better mental well-being than those who hadn’t.
The report also suggests that the positive effect of video game playing on mental health seems to plateau at around three hours of activity per day.
Hiroyuki Egami of Nihon University said: “I guess if you enjoy your hobby, you’re going to find a good impact on your well-being.”
The study also showed that there was a difference in impact not only between hours played, but also between age groups and consoles.
Young people who purchased a Nintendo Switch reported a larger positive impact on well-being than older people.
Childless adults with a PS5 reported a larger positive effect on their mental health compared to parents with the same console.
Peter Etchells of Bath Spa University commented: “It highlights that, if we care about understanding how video games impact us, we need to be nuanced and specific about what it is that we’re measuring and how.”
This is just the first of several studies that would need to be done to test the effect of playing video games on mental well-being.
While the sample size for this study is large, the results are self-reported, and therefore may be unreliable.
However, this is a good starting point for future research, particularly as video games become ever more part of mainstream entertainment and culture.
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