As electronic devices permeate every corner of life, video games have become a popular form of entertainment, especially during the pandemic when games were widely recognized as a safe and socially distanced form of leisure. It is reported that the number of players worldwide surged, with nearly 3 billion people actively participating, sparking renewed discussions about the positive or negative impact of gaming on mental health.
According to thebrighterside, in a pioneering study, Japanese researchers analyzed the causal relationship between gaming and mental health during the pandemic. This study examined 97,602 survey questionnaires from Japanese people aged 10 to 69, exploring the impact of owning gaming consoles on mental health and life satisfaction. The results showed that owning a Nintendo Switch could improve mental health levels by 0. 60 standard deviations, while owning a PS5 increased it by 0.12 standard deviations. Additionally, PS5 owners also experienced a 0.23 standard deviation increase in life satisfaction. Interestingly, the benefits varied across different groups. Adolescents and women saw a significantly greater improvement in mental health after owning a Nintendo Switch compared to owning a PS5. These differences indicate that when assessing the psychological impact of gaming, specific gaming platforms and types of games must be considered. The lead researcher, Hiroyuki Egami, stated: ‘Our study challenges the stereotypes about gaming, that it is harmful to mental health or merely provides fleeting pleasure. The results show that gaming can enhance mental health and life satisfaction, with a very broad range of effects.’ He further explained: ‘Many past studies were based on observational data for correlation analysis, which could not distinguish causal relationships. However, our natural experimental design allows us to confidently conclude that gaming can actually improve mental health, not just be associated with it.’ This article is produced and published by gamehiving and is prohibited from being reprinted without permission.
