We tend to think that spending time playing consoles can only be bad for your mental health… But according to a British study, produced by the University of Oxford and published in The Royal Society, it would not. There would be no causal link between the hours you spend tapping on your Switch and your state of mind. Explanations.
To arrive at this surprising observation, researchers studied more than 38,000 gamers aged 18 and over. They were submitted to questionnaires reviewing their emotions throughout the day. Were they sad? Happy ? Cheerful ? Frustrated? Angry… after playing two types of games, The Crew 2 and Animal Crossing.
Within the limit of 10 hours per day
Of course, they had to report the number of hours spent on these games. By analyzing the answers, the scientists realized that there was no logic between the time given to these activities and the mood of the players. Within a certain limit all the same: they specify that beyond 10 daily hours of playthe impact became noticeable in the gamer.
In 2020, the University of Oxford had already published a study on this subject, estimating this time that video games could be good for mental health. If their effects must still be studied to validate these two theories, the objective is all the same clear: it is time to demonize the practice.
That said, the study only looks at two games and only involves adults. Moreover, for other health factors (the eyes for example), spending 10 hours a day playing in front of a screen is not optimal.
Source : Time spent playing video games is unlikely to impact well-being, Royal Society, 27 July 2022.
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