Contrary to popular belief, video games have many health benefits and improve social skills, if used in moderation.

Question

Are video games beneficial for your mental health? Or are they harmful? The truth may shock you, so read on to find out.

Answer 1

I agree with the statement that playing video games can be a good developmental resource, although the claims made in the article provided are backed up with credible sources, I have also found other supporting evidence. Video games, in this article, are said to be good for cognitive behaviors, creativity and problem-solving skills. I have found another journal by scholars at Radboud University Nijmegen that supports these claims. The original article also references a Harvard study about the effects of too much gaming, this article also references the positive effects such as an easier vehicle to help with the loneliness epidemic. Although, this being said there are still negative repercussions. The most important thing to remember is balance and moderation to use this tool for good rather than letting it harm you.

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-a0034857.pdf

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-health-effects-of-too-much-gaming-2020122221645

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24295515/

Answer 2

After evaluating the article, this claim seems to be true. Many links, such as Investopedia and Harvard Health, back up this question. 

I saw a relevant source linked to the article that claims "Video gaming is known to have some benefits such as improving focus, multitasking, and working memory," and "Moreover, video games offer people a chance to connect with other people socially despite any more or less evident psychological problems they may have." This ties back to some of the points stated in the article, which is credible. This comes to show that video games can be beneficial when used in a moderate tone. 

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6676913/

Lastly, I researched the title, and it comes to be credible since I see a few sources that talk about the relevant question. 

https://medium.com/@cook.benjamin/the-benefits-of-playing-video-games-in-moderation-c81adb7c62f7

https://www.techforgood.net/guestposts/how-video-games-help-business-teams-work-smarter#:~:text=Contrary%20to%20popular%20belief%2C%20video,prove%20useful%20in%20the%20workplace.

Answer 3

The claim is shown to be true. The article you provided by WellPower is a reputable source as it has a .org domain. The source does a great job backing up your claim providing benefits to playing video games casually. Another source that I found by Cleveland Clinic shows that playing video games can lead to an improvement in cognitive functions. According to another article I found by Michigan Medicine shares that video games played in moderation can be helpful in relieving stress and be used as a opportunity to be more social. This gives a pathway for people especially in youth to improve their social skills and essential development traits that have not been fully developed (cognitive, social emotional, etc.)

Sources:

https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-video-games-good-for-you

https://www.michiganmedicine.org/health-lab/video-games-ok-moderation-if-you-know-when-hit-pause

Answer 4

This claim appears to be true. The article the author lists has evidence to suggest that gaming may improve social behaviors by implanting an increased sense of community and use of games like Minecraft to create safe emotional online spaces for children in therapy. I was able to find two articles to strengthen this listed claim and evidence. The first is an academic paper (The Benefits of Playing Video Games) which has a section about social benefits such as children increasing their prosocial behaviors at school via gaming interactions. The second is an article on the National Library of Medicine about how gaming builds community bonds for shy/socially anxious individuals who struggle with traditional socialization. Both of my sources are listed below:

https://www.apa.org/pubs/journals/releases/amp-a0034857.pdf

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC4080869/

Answer 5

The claim that "video games, if used in moderation, can provide health benefits" can be argued to be true. A peer reviewed 2022 study from the journal Australasian psychiatry: bulletin of the Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists titled "Exploring the possible mental health and wellbeing benefits of video games for adult players: A cross-sectional study" consisted of a survey of 2107 adults, 88.4% of which experienced psychological or emotional benefits from gaming. However, the study notes that "More data are required to understand how and for whom these benefits occur." They find that "RPGs were perceived to be the most beneficial genre" and state that their research "may influence the design of therapeutic games to promote wellbeing and treat aspects of mental distress"

Overall, it is clearly true that playing video games is capable of providing wellbing benefits for some people, how reliably video games produce benefits is more difficult to determine and requires further research.

Source:

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC9749564/

Answer 6

At first glance this article seems too good to be true but after further investigation I found all claims to be accurate. Both Harvard Health & the NIH produced studies that were referenced in the article. While the author implies that video games are healthy in the title, They go on to explain possible negative consequences from gaming, such as IGD(Internet Gaming Disorder), sleep deprivation, depression, and anxiety. 

https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/the-health-effects-of-too-much-gaming-2020122221645

"Before discussing the harms of gaming, it is only fair to mention the benefits. Aside from being entertaining and a fun pastime, gaming can provide a way for people to interact with each other — a virtual community — as they work together toward completing common tasks. Our society suffers from an epidemic of loneliness, and gaming can be a vehicle to connect with others, including otherwise difficult-to-connect-with people in your life, such as kids, grandkids, or (I’ve seen this be quite helpful) with autistic children, who can have challenges with traditional modes of communication."

"Gaming has also been associated with psychological problems. It is still an open question whether video game addiction, or internet gaming disorder (IGD), is a unique syndrome. According to the American Psychological Association..."

"Gaming has also been associated with sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety, though more studies are needed to establish the validity and the strength of these connections"

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8277305/

"Regarding anhedonia experienced by individuals with depression, recent evidence has shown the utility of video games to evoke positive emotions such as joy and happiness [65], appreciation and competence [94], and social connectedness [73] in individuals."

https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6676913/