New Research Shows Gaming Hours Don't Harm Adult Well-Being
A recent study has found that playing video games extensively does not significantly impact players’ well-being, addressing long-standing concerns about potential mental health risks associated with gaming.
Publication and Findings
Published in the journal Technology Mind and Behavior, the research indicates no substantial positive or negative effects of video game playtime on adult gamers’ mental health. This discovery is particularly relevant given the ongoing debate over gaming’s impact on well-being in research, media, and policy discussions. The concern heightened in 2018 when the World Health Organization added “gaming disorder” to its International Classification of Diseases.
Understanding Gaming Disorder
Gaming disorder is characterised by a pattern of behaviour involving impaired control over gaming, prioritising gaming over other activities to the extent that it takes precedence over other interests and daily activities, and continuing or escalating gaming despite negative consequences.
Research Methodology and Results
To measure playtime across various games, researchers developed a method to record playtime on the Xbox platform. Over 12 weeks, a study involving 414 adult U.S. and U.K. gamers who primarily play on Xbox explored the relationship between playtime and well-being.
Authored by Oxford Internet Institute post-doctoral researcher Nick Ballou, the study assessed three dimensions of well-being:
Positive affect (participants’ current happiness levels)
Depressive symptoms (experiences of sadness or hopelessness in the previous week)
Overall mental health (psychological state over the prior two weeks)
Playtime was recorded and measured across three periods: the last 24 hours, the previous week, and the preceding two weeks. Participants generally spent around 2.1 hours per day playing video games, though the amount of time dedicated to gaming varied widely. Some gamers played for just around an hour each day, while others played for much longer periods.
Despite different model specifications in this study with 2036 completed surveys, the links between playtime and mental well-being were found to be minimal. This suggests that the duration of gameplay is not a major factor affecting mental health. Instead, the study supports a shift in research focus towards the context and quality of gameplay.
Study Limitations
However, several limitations need to be addressed. A significant limitation is the possibility of time-varying confounders—variables that could affect both gaming habits and well-being over time. For instance, fluctuations in disposable income might influence both the amount of gaming and an individual’s mental health. Although the study gathered open-ended feedback on life events that could impact both gaming and well-being, this data was not thoroughly analysed.
Another constraint is the study’s focus on a particular demographic: adult Xbox players in the United States and the United Kingdom. This specificity may limit the applicability of the results to younger gamers, people in other geographical areas, or those who use different gaming platforms.
Conclusion
Overall, this study provides valuable insights into the relationship between video game playtime and mental health, suggesting that extensive gaming does not inherently harm adult gamers’ well-being. Future research should consider the context and quality of gameplay, as well as a broader demographic, to gain a more comprehensive understanding of gaming’s impact on mental health.