By Nathan Cortes Rojas
As the pandemic continues and we are forced to stay indoors, mental health has become a big issue. While there are many things we can do to improve our mental health, there is a surprising method that may seem counter-intuitive.
Video games might actually be good for your mental health and overall well-being, an Oxford study has concluded.
It found that gamers’ mental health had improved considerably during lockdown because of the joy they get from playing their games. This study was done using data from game makers, Electronic Arts and Nintendo of America, allowing them to see the amount of time a person plays on average.
“Overall, our findings suggest that regulating video games, on the basis of time, might not bring the benefits many might expect, though the correlational nature of the data limits that conclusion,” the study said.
Rot your brain?
Many people can recall the old warnings about online games and how they would “rot your brain”, or how they had negative impacts on your mental health. However, in the last year, games have shown to be an excellent way to help with overall wellbeing.
Science is not the only thing that supports this new idea about video games.
Kit Wells, a university student, has stated that games helped him during lockdown to maintain contact with friends, which had a positive impact on his sense of community and feeling connected. “Without games, I wouldn’t have met some of my best friends,” he said.
This new view challenges the stigma that largely covered the gaming community.
They believe that playing games leads to increased aggression and addiction, and by extension views gamers in a bad light.
Although these days, it’s not looked down upon as much, the stigma still clings to some people’s minds. Perhaps some day soon, this will clear up.
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