Mental health and playing video games amidst the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic
Video games have long suffered from a negative reputation of being addicting and a negative influence on people’s lives. However, as COVID-19 forces people to find new ways to stay connected, the classic stigma of lonely, antisocial gamers is rapidly disappearing; with a rise in online gaming a growing realization has emerged that games can help individuals maintain a sense of connectedness and community.
On May 25th 2019, the World Health Organization (WHO) alarmed parents when they voted to include gaming disorder as a behavioral addiction. While gaming addiction can be a serious problem, evidence is mounting that when played in moderation, video games provide benefits that go beyond entertainment and improved hand eye coordination — so much so that in March 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic was at its peak, WHO and several other gaming companies launched a #PlayApartTogether campaign to promote healthy physical distancing. The campaign aims to bring together special events, exclusives, activities, rewards, and inspiration to some of the most popular games in the world. With leisure and socialization limited to the home and online, platforms like Xbox Live, Playstation Plus, Steam, Discord and Nintendo Switch Online, millions of people are connected through these platforms, and they offer great solutions to isolation during a pandemic.
Here’s how gaming can support and improve one’s mental health, especially during a time where social isolation is crucial for the safety of the community:
- Playing video games can improve one’s mood
While many perceive video games to be stress inducing — especially when you watch your character die for the millionth time in a game — a study demonstrated that video games activate autonomy and competence in addition to improved well-being after the game (Ryan et al., 2006). These positive benefits are even greater when game controls are intuitive and individuals feel immersed within the experience of the game.
2. Video games can build resilience
Imagine this: you’re playing Valorant and your team has lost two games in a row. You feel frustrated but you’re invested in the game and you’re having fun, so you’re willing to continue trying in order to boost your rank. Scenarios like this are fairly common with most video game players and highlight the possibility that video games can be effective tools for learning resilience in the face of failure. To an extent, video games provide a medium where individuals learn to cope with continuous failures and the increased emotional resilience can be relied upon in other aspects of our everyday lives.
3. Video games can be relaxing
The ongoing Coronavirus pandemic can be very stressful for individuals. The fear and anxiety about a new disease with no cure can be overwhelming for individuals of all ages, and public health measures like social distancing can make people feel isolated, anxious and depressed. Feeling relaxed seems like a luxury and studies have shown that playing video games might be a good tool to help relax your mental and physical processes. A study that measured physiological responses related to mood and stress levels found that when subjects are playing video games, there are measurable benefits like improved mood and lowered levels of physical stress (Russoniello et al., 2009).
4. Video games can reduce stress and anxiety
The reasons you play video games have been shown to affect whether an individual will experience positive benefits or negative consequences. A study surveyed over 3000 individuals found that those who had high levels of distress who played games to escape or competitively were more likely to be associated with gaming addiction. In contrast, those who played to cope with psychiatric symptoms (and not escape) were more protected from gaming addiction; these individuals were also found to reap positive benefits from gaming including reduced stress and anxiety levels (Király et al., 2015). This demonstrates that when played for the right reasons, video games can have therapeutic effects that are beneficial to one’s mental well-being.
5. Video games can help you stay socially connected
Humans have an innate desire to feel connected. Social connection has been shown to lower anxiety and depression, improve our immune systems and better regulate our emotions. With social distancing restrictions imposed on our social lives, it has been challenging for people to find new ways to feel connected. When we are unable to fulfill the human desire to connect with others, our physical and mental well-being is at risk.
Through online gaming, individuals can play and stay connected with friends, family members or strangers without having to physically be near them. Gaming can offer players a sense of accomplishment while also providing unlimited options for entertainment, social interaction and relaxation. Not only are they reducing their stress levels, they are also releasing endorphins which are helpful when coping with stressful and anxiety driven situations.
So how does all this information affect the way that you can enjoy video games and have them be a positive factor in improving your mental well-being?
There are many healthy ways to enjoy gaming; for example, why not invite a few of your friends to play some games and hop on a voice call? Encourage the people who you live with to try out local multiplayer games — try settling dish washing duties through a game of Super Smash Bros Seek out exciting single player experiences that offer immersive storytelling experiences. Or take some time to replay one of your favorite old classics for that sweet, sweet nostalgia. These are just a few of the many ways you can play video games in a healthy manner that supports your well-being and aligns with the data that psychological experts support.
Disclaimer: It is important to note that decades of research has been conducted on the negative effects of gaming, including addiction, depression and aggression. This article is not suggesting that those effects should be ignored, and instead suggests a more balanced perspective that looks at both the positives and negatives of video games to better understand the impact of video games on mental health. Gaming addiction is a real problem and this article aims to illustrate how gaming in moderation can be an excellent supplement to a balanced lifestyle. If you or anyone you know is struggling with gaming addiction, we encourage you to reach out to those that you trust or seek out support from your local mental health services.
Citations
Király, O., Urbán, R., Griffiths, M. D., Ágoston, C., Nagygyörgy, K., Kökönyei, G., & Demetrovics, Z. (2015). The mediating effect of gaming motivation between psychiatric symptoms and problematic online gaming: an online survey. Journal of medical Internet research, 17(4), e88.
Russoniello, C. V., O’Brien, K., & Parks, J. M. (2009). EEG, HRV and Psychological Correlates while Playing Bejeweled II: A Randomized Controlled Study. Studies in health technology and informatics, 144, 189–192.
Ryan, R. M., Rigby, C. S., & Przybylski, A. (2006). The motivational pull of video games: A self-determination theory approach. Motivation and Emotion, 30(4), 344–360. doi:10.1007/s11031–006–9051–8
