03:14 PM

August 04, 2022 Thursday

A study of 39,000 video game players found that the amount of time they played had “virtually no effect” on their health and well-being.

The study found that the average player would need to play 10 hours more than usual per day to notice any difference. The BBC Arabic website reports that playing can have a significant impact on their mental health.

Well-being is measured by asking about life satisfaction and levels of emotions and feelings of happiness, sadness, anger, and frustration.

These findings differ from a 2020 study by the same department at the Oxford Internet Institute – but with a much smaller sample of gamers – and the 2020 study indicated that those who played longer hours were happier.

read more: Helpful or harmful? Here’s how video games affect your brain

Professor Andrew Przybylski, who worked on both studies, said: ‘Common sense suggests that the more time you spend playing video games, the happier you are.

“But contrary to what we think sports are good or bad for us, we found [في هذه الدراسة الأخيرة] “Conclusive evidence that how much you play has no effect on changes in your well-being and health status.”

“If players play because they want to, not because they think they have to, or they have to, they feel better and look better,” Przybylski explained.

During this time, tech companies including Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo provided six weeks of data – with players’ consent – ​​on Animal Crossing: New Horizons, Apex Legends, Eve Online, Forza Horizon 4, Gran Turismo Sport, The Squad 2. During that time (the research period), Only one player withdrew from the study – which was published in the Royal Society Open Science journal.

Psychological health

In China, children are only allowed to play for one hour a day on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

But many players around the world say their sport helps improve their mental health.

Mike Daly, creator of Lemmings and Grand Theft Auto, said the benefits were different.

“I’m not sure this is something that can be measured by a ‘well-being’ state,” he added.

“Like everything in life, it’s a balancing act.”

“Playing games 24 hours a day is not good – just like eating or exercising 24 hours a day is not good either.”

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