The Positive Impact of Gaming
Mental health is something that is often discussed but only sometimes understood. While there are different ways to measure mental health, it can generally be described as a person’s ability to handle stress and solve problems in a productive way.
In today’s day and age, mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety, and stress are becoming increasingly common. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, one in five adults experiences a diagnosable mental illness in any given year. This means that more than half of the world’s population is struggling with a mental illness at any given time.
Research shows that gaming positively affects our mental health. In fact, some experts now believe that playing video games regularly has a number of benefits for your mental well-being and your day-to-day functioning.
Gaming is as much a mental challenge as it is an opportunity for relaxation and stress relief. So, you might be surprised to learn that gaming can also sharpen your focus, boost your dopamine levels, allow you to concentrate on more things simultaneously, and form more friendships. Many gamers feel that games have helped them develop personally and mentally by uplifting their mood during times of distress.
Why is Mental Health so Important?
Mental health is just as important as physical health, but the fact that it isn’t visible allows it to be overlooked. Anyone can suffer from a mental illness, no matter how strong or ‘tough’ they seem. This is why it’s so important to talk about mental health and not let it fall by the wayside.
If a person’s mental health is suffering, it can affect their day-to-day life. This might include issues such as anxiety, depression, or being unable to complete everyday tasks. Mental health is a crucial part of a person’s overall health. Just as we need to take care of our bodies, we need to take care of our minds. Mental health also includes how you think, feel, and handle things. This can also include what you think about yourself and your worth. Let’s see how gaming deals with these issues.
How Gaming Deals with Bullying, Insecurities, Introversion, Loss, and Depression
One of the most common mental health issues that people face is bullying. While being able to deal with bullies is an important skill, it can also lead to feelings of self-doubt, insecurity, and depression. Gaming can be a great way to help deal with these issues by providing a positive space free from judgment with which to interact. It allows people to express themselves in a way they see fit, without comments or snide remarks from anyone else. It’s just them, their game, and the experience.
Similarly, a lot of people may struggle when dealing with feelings of loss. Whether it’s a loved one, a relationship, or even a life event that has come to an end, feelings of loss are a normal part of life. Gaming can be a good way to cope with feelings of loss as it can provide a positive outlet for your emotions. Although it is not the only way to deal with such situations, it can go a long way in helping a person find comfort in what they know and love.
“Gaming gets your mind off things for a little while, and that helps,” says John Kieswetter, an Xbox Ambassador. Nearly a decade ago, Kieswetter’s sister passed away unexpectedly due to surgical complications. Fortunately, playing video games with his friends provided a refuge from his overwhelming grief and sadness. On occasion, Kieswetter would play games, and speak about what he was going through with his gamer friends. This way, John was able to healthily cope with the loss and believes that gaming and his friends have had a very positive impact on his mental health.
Being an introvert can be a difficult part of life, especially in a society where extroversion is so celebrated. Gaming can be a wonderful outlet for those who prefer to lead more introverted lifestyles and the online nature of gaming can allow people to remain in their comfort zone while still enjoying themselves. However, if they choose to, gaming can also open the up path to meeting and interacting with people online, easing them into conversations and helping them apply those experiences in real life as well.
Lastly, gaming can help those who are dealing with depression by providing them with a safe space where they can focus on positive things instead of the challenges that come with living with depression. Playing video games with their friends can be the very change of pace they need and help them take their minds off the situations that they do not wish to think about.
Whilst gaming is not the only answer to all these situations and most certainly not applicable to all, it remains a source of encouragement and comfort allowing people, both young and old, to create a positive impact in their lives.
There are also programs that exist to address anxiety, depression, and stress in the gaming community. Presence of Mind, a partnership between Kaiser Permanente, the largest nonprofit healthcare plan in the United States, and professional esports organization Cloud9 is one such example. The initiative aims to create awareness, build resilience, reduce the stigma associated with mental health conditions and create a safe and open space for conversation within the gaming community.
Benefits of Gaming
Despite the notion that video games are a ‘waste of time and a ‘bad habit’, studies have shown that gaming can help develop and improve a variety of skills. Gaming can improve reaction times, spatial memory, and problem-solving abilities and make you feel more confident about socializing. (Check out our previous blog for more!)
Other than that, gaming can also have a positive effect on various chemicals in our brains:
Dopamine, or the feel-good hormone, is released whenever gamers are rewarded for making good decisions. Spikes in dopamine encourage gamers to repeat certain actions and motivate them towards their target, for example, scoring a goal in FIFA or completing a successful retake in Valorant.
The thrill and excitement that we feel as we navigate our way through the lush forests of Guadalajara in Forza Horizon 5 is the result of endorphins being released. Endorphins act as our body’s natural painkiller and also help in lowering stress and anxiety levels by creating a sense of joy and euphoria.
Cortisol, the stress hormone, controls how our body reacts to stressful situations. When it comes to learning, high levels of cortisol force the brain into survival mode, pulling out all the stops and helping you wrack your brain to solve your next puzzle or beat the final boss in Elden Ring.
Playing video games has also shown improvement in cognitive development, i.e. progress in the learning process, allowing the younger generation to solve problems, think independently, and quickly adapt to the world and the situations around them. As such, gaming offers a wide range of cognitive benefits, helping children progress in core cognitive development skills, including Coordination, Reactions and reflexes, Deductive reasoning, Analogy and Understanding basic concepts in math and physics.
Conclusion
Thus, we can see how playing video games can help people deal with difficult situations and allow them to cope with various issues like bullying, insecurities, introversion, coping with loss, and depression as well. It helps to create a positive change and at the same time, raise awareness about these issues as well.
In conclusion, mental health is an incredibly important topic, and it’s important that we address the stigma surrounding it. Gaming is a great way to improve your mental health as it allows you to engage in a positive and interactive activity.
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