In a recent study from Oxford, experts reveal that time spent gaming has 'little to no impact on players' wellbeing.
According to a report from Independent, 39,000 gamers from a range of different gaming platforms participated in the Oxford Internet Institute study. Participants were questioned about their emotional well-being in general and their life satisfaction, noting feelings like happiness, frustration, and anger.
The study also involved comparing the latest gathered data with data from previous weeks, most of the study respondents were gamers from English-speaking countries.
During the study, researchers followed players of these games; 'Animal Crossing: New Horizons', 'Apex Legends', 'Eve Online', 'Forza Horizon 4', 'Gran Turismo Sports', and finally 'The Crew 2". The study was completed in six weeks.
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The Oxford study revealed that gaming time's effect on mental health and overall wellbeing is 'too small to be noticeable.' Researcher Andrew K. Przybylsk from the Oxford Institute adds that the study finds little to no evidence of connections between gameplay and well-being."
Playing Video Games Is Positively Correlated With Wellbeing, Says 2020 Study
This recent study follows a study that was done in 2020 to study the gaming behavirs of people during the COVID lockdown periods. The 2020 study found that gaming can help people develop their skills and form social connections with others, which may improve their well-being.
In a press release from the Oxford Internet Institute in 2020, researchers also reported that many individuals have resorted to extended hours of gaming because of strict COVID-related lockdowns which later on after some studies, reveal that playing video games is positively correlated with wellbeing.
With these recent studies, the institute clarifies that the experiences that players have while playing could be just as essential as the actual amount of time they spend playing games and could have a significant impact on their overall well-being.
"Although we studied the play and well-being of thousands of people across diverse games, our study barely scratched the surface of video game play more broadly," says the study.
Harvard Health Reiterates Detrimental Effect of Too Much Gaming
While these studies highlight the benefits that can be assumed with gaming, many other studies in the past have released data on how too many video games can ultimately lead to several disadvantages and hazards.
Harvard Health Annual in an edition from 2020, lists the effects of too much gaming. The journal mentions how extensive gaming can lead to concerning health risks like injuries, obesity, and many other more.
Psychological issues have also been linked to too much gaming. Although the existence of a specific condition for internet gaming disorder (IGD) or video game addiction is still up for debate and is considered a rare syndrome, there stand many claims of how gaming has been a destructive force to some.
In some countries, governments have already initiated campaigns to address cases of gaming addiction among their constituents.
In a statement, Oxford researcher Przybylsk claims that the best way to understand how games influence human wellbeing, more studies should be done to gather more data from games that are played every day. "Conclusive answers to the questions of how games influence our society will require all of the major console, computer, and mobile platforms to empower their users to effortlessly and ethically donate their play data for an independent analysis.", the researcher added.
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