Unexpected Effects of Video Games: What Are They?

A new study has revealed a "positive and unexpected effect" of video games among individuals of various ages, but with one specific condition. Video games are often believed to be detrimental to health, particularly in children, with concerns that they can cause developmental and social communication issues, promote violence, and lead to addiction. However, a study conducted on over 97,000 people aged between 10 and 69, led by Nihon University in Tokyo, found that video games can have a positive impact on mental health, "provided that the time spent playing these games does not exceed 3 hours a day." It was also found to improve life satisfaction and reduce psychological stress. At the same time, researchers caution that collecting data during the "COVID-19" pandemic, from 2020 to 2022, may affect the results. Nevertheless, they state that the study highlights the complex effects of "screen time" on mental health. The research team wrote in the journal Nature Human Behaviour: "All our estimates indicated positive correlations between video games and life satisfaction, a finding that contradicts some public perceptions about games, but is consistent with recent studies." Commenting on the study, Dr. Mike Cook, a senior lecturer in computer science at King's College London, stated: "Research that helps people understand the benefits of play is valuable for everyone, especially when it comes to video games; they are important for children and for adults of all ages, and their significance is increasingly growing for older generations as a source of social connection and mental challenge."