Playing Video Games May Improve Mental Health, Study Says

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Playing video games could improve people’s mental health, according to a study from Oxford University. The research focused on two popular video games, Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. A combined total of 3,274 players of both games were surveyed in the study. The researchers tracked the participants’ total playing time and linked it to their mental health. Game developers Nintendo and Electronic Arts worked in tandem with the researchers by sharing anonymous data of the players’ gaming habits. This method ensured accurate results, since relying on self-reports often leads to incorrect findings. Results showed that the longer the participants spent playing the games, the happier they felt. According to the researchers, the games’ social aspect, which allows players to interact with their friends, might have influenced the participants’ happiness. The findings run contrary to the belief that playing too much video games might lead to addiction and poor mental well-being. Andrew Przybylski [shuh-BIL-skee], the study’s lead author, said that video games are not inherently bad. He also said that not allowing people to play video games freely could withhold the benefits of the activity. Despite the study’s results, the researchers emphasized that their findings should not be taken as definitive. The study was limited to just two games, so there is no evidence whether or not other game genres have impacts on people’s well-being. However, Przybylski is hopeful that the study will encourage other researchers to collaborate with game developers and conduct more research on gaming behaviors.