A new study published in Nature Human Behaviour challenges the prevailing view that video gaming negatively impacts mental health. Researchers in Japan took advantage of supply chain disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic to investigate the causal effects of gaming on psychological well-being. By studying individuals who won lotteries to buy gaming consoles like the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 5, they uncovered some surprising results.
Console Ownership Reduces Psychological Distress
The research team tracked 97,602 individuals aged 10 to 69 across Japan from December 2020 to March 2022. Participants who won the lotteries to purchase consoles reported reduced psychological distress and higher life satisfaction.
Using established measures like the Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6) and the Satisfaction With Life Scale (SWLS), the study found that owning a Nintendo Switch decreased distress by 0.2 standard deviations, while the PS5 reduced it by 0.1 standard deviations.
Life satisfaction also improved among PS5 owners by about 0.2 standard deviations. Although these figures are modest, they demonstrate a positive impact on well-being.
A Natural Experiment: The COVID-19 Pandemic
The pandemic-era supply shortages in Japan created a unique natural experiment. Retailers organized lotteries for people to buy gaming consoles, effectively providing a random assignment that allowed researchers to observe the effects of gaming in a controlled environment. This approach avoided the biases of previous observational studies and offered a clearer understanding of the relationship between gaming and mental health.
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The Benefits of Moderate Gaming
The study revealed that younger individuals and those with higher initial distress benefited more from gaming. For children, the Nintendo Switch showed the most substantial mental health improvements, while the PS5 had a more positive impact on adults. However, the researchers noted that the benefits diminished when gaming exceeded three hours per day, underscoring the importance of moderation.
Pandemic Conditions and Limitations
While the study’s findings are promising, researchers acknowledged that the pandemic’s unique conditions may have amplified the positive effects of gaming. Lockdowns restricted physical activity and increased stress levels, making gaming a valuable source of entertainment and relaxation. The team highlighted the need for further studies in non-pandemic settings to determine if these results hold true in different environments.
