Video games good for your health?
A recent study by the University of Oxford found that “people who play video games for long periods of time tend to report feeling happier than those who do not.”
I would have loved to have this as part of my counter-argument when my mum would tell me to stop playing games or my eyes will turn square!
Although 40 years of previous research has suggested that longer playing time is associated with being unhappy, this study focussed on two games (Nintendo's Animal Crossing and EA's Plants vs Zombies) and they believe it’s the social aspect that increases your happiness.
Key findings include:
Actual amount of time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor in people’s wellbeing
A player’s subjective experiences during play might be a bigger factor for wellbeing than mere play time.
Players experiencing genuine enjoyment from the games experience more positive well-being
Findings align with past research suggesting people whose psychological needs weren’t being met in the ‘real world’ might report negative well-being from play.
With research indicating that playing games might be good for your health and people all around the world finding themselves in states of lockdown, we might see a seismic shift in an already expanding growth market!
We pulled together some of the key global stats (hover over to see more detail):
