In fact, video games can benefit your mental health.

As the global pandemic beats savings and instructions billions of people around the world in isolation in their homes, our collective mental health is taking naturally a dive. As many people do not have their usual outlets for contacting family, friends and colleagues, depression has exploded around the world.

But maybe you can do something about it and without leaving the house. A new study from Oxford University indicates that mental well-being can be enhanced by one of the most sedentary indoor activities of all: playing video games. According to the study, it appears that vegetating on the couch ignoring familiar warnings from your spouse or parents can have an impact.perfect for your psyche, as long as you are playing the right games.

The study is the first of its kind

The study is charting new territory for video game research. By analyzing the patterns of player behavior in two games, Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville and Animal Crossing: New horizons, the researchers tailored a survey to the specific playing times of 3,274 players. (Previous studies have relied on self-reported playing times of players, which have relied on more questionable conclusions.)

the study sought to measure the link between objective playing time and an individual’s mental well-being, citing several factors related to player experience, such as “feelings of autonomy, kinship, competence, fun and pressure to play ”.

According to Professor Andrew Przybylski, Research Director at the Oxford Internet Institute and lead author of the study, the findings defy much of the stereotypical frame of video games as having a detrimental effect on mood. These lessons could prove instructive for policymakers, especially as Internet addiction and screen time are becoming more and more common problems in society.

“Our results show that video games aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there are other psychological factors that have a significant effect on a person’s well-being. In fact, gambling can be an activity that positively relates to the mental health of people – and the regulation of video games could deprive gamers of these benefits. ”

More key results

It’s important to note that the two games used in the study have a sunnier premise than many violent or apocalyptic games on the market. The happiness of the interviewed actors could come from Animal crossingthe more sympathetic mood; and the fact that in order to play, the players must interact with each other to perform mutually beneficial tasks.

“I don’t think people spend a lot of time playing games with a social aspect unless they’re happy with it,” Przybylski told the BBC, comparing the effect of the two games to that of a “digital water cooler”.

The study continued to conclude:

• The actual time spent playing was a small but significant positive factor for people’s well-being
• A player’s subjective experiences during play may be a more important factor in well-being than just playing time.
• Players who genuinely enjoy games experience more positive well-being
• The findings are consistent with previous research suggesting that people whose psychological needs were not met in the “ real world ” might report negative well-being from gambling.

Data can help inform public health policy

Yet the study does not entirely disprove four decades of previous video game research, much of which observed negative links between various games and player mental health across age groups. The study offers, according to Przybylski, a chance for researchers to better communicate to public health authorities precise data on video games that were previously unavailable due to technological constraints.

“You really respected important organizations, like the world Health The organization and the NHS, giving attention and resources to something where there is literally no good data ” he said The Guardian.

As governments in the West consider imposing new lockdowns, it serves as a bit of comfort knowing that happy games like Animal crossing could help people cope with loneliness better than we previously thought.