Of all the things that could’ve supported your argument for the benefits of video games, that forsaken virus of 2020 was likely not even among the list. However, due to COVID-19, some researchers have managed to come up with rather reliable results for their study and experiment regarding the benefits of video games on health and wellbeing. So this time, there’s ample evidence and not just your anecdote against the nagging from mom (or your wife). Video games are good for your health, and COVID-19 helped prove it.
The study took place in Japan during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine phase from 2020 to 2022. Japanese researchers surveyed and analyzed 97,602 individuals– some of which owned gaming consoles. The ages ranged from 10 to 69.
The researchers then published the results on Nature Human Behavior and concluded that console ownership and thus video games have improved the mental well-being of their owners. In fact, playing video games helped ‘reduce psychological distress and improved life satisfaction.
For additional details, owners of the Nintendo Switch showed higher improvements based on the researchers’ metrics, while PS5 owners displayed smaller improvements in satisfaction. Meanwhile, adults and female gamers displayed greater psychological gains in wellbeing compared to younger and male gamers, respectively.
Furthermore, the lead researcher, Hiroyuki Egami from Nihon University, also explained why their study took place:
“Our findings challenge common stereotypes about gaming being harmful or merely providing temporary euphoria. We’ve shown that gaming can improve mental health and life satisfaction across a broad spectrum of individuals.
Many earlier studies drew conclusions from correlational analysis with observational data, which can’t distinguish between cause and effect.
Our natural experimental design allows us to confidently say that gaming actually leads to improved well-being, rather than just being associated with it.”
Someone Eventually Had to Prove It
Other experts have chimed in, and even Md. Shafiur Rahman from Hamamatsu University School of Medicine commended the Japanese researchers’ study and its robust methodology. Md. Shafiur Rahman then presses the need for studying digital media’s effects on health.
Meanwhile, other misconceptions about video games, such as how they might cause aggression and violence have since been disproven. That’s why most researchers are now turning towards the mental health benefits of gaming. Some of us, however, might have already known the results from the start. Perhaps all too well.
