Video Games and Mental Health: Effects You Need to Know

Since 2019 excessive addiction to video games has been known as a gaming disorder that compromises over 2 to 3% of the population of gamers worldwide. Video games and mental health have had a close relationship ever since the researchers have focused on the impact of video gaming on the mental health of people, especially youngsters. One does not even realize how video gaming affects the brain and physical body since hundreds of people spend hours in front of the screen and subject their bodies to physical stresses.

Video gamers also suffer from back pain and poor posture resulting from bad chairs. However, even though we have repeatedly heard of the negative effects of video games on mental health, there are some benefits of video games on mental health when played in moderation. In this article, we will discover the entire link between video games and mental health and how to minimize the effects of video games on mental health.

Positive Effects of Video Games on Mental Health

Let’s explore the relationship between video games and mental health in this section. Playing video games as much as is seen as a bad habit or an addiction that can destroy a person's life entirely, has certain benefits. Many researchers prove how video games play a positive role in the mental and physical health of the gamer. Here are some reasons to add video gaming in moderate amounts to your daily routine.

Mental Stimulation

Video games are notorious for making you think. Almost every region of your brain is trying to assist you in attaining higher-level thinking when you play video games. Since each game has a different type of complexity and offers a certain difficulty level the gamer needs to plan their moves, strategize or even learn from their mistakes.  This engages deeper brain areas, enhancing development and critical thinking abilities.

Skill Polishing

When gaming, you often take a few minutes to think and ponder upon the complex challenges, hence working to find the real solution. This polishes your decision-making skills and develops creative thinking in the brain.

Beneficial for Physical Health

If you follow the ergonomic rules of gaming, the video game is indeed helpful for your physical health. Especially for people who play games with a standing desk, video gaming can help activate muscles, indulge your body, regulate blood sugar levels, and prepare the mind for challenging situations, especially for people who play games with a standing desk. When used for gaming, a computer ergonomic chair acts as a relief to your muscles, and while relaxing your mind, it also calms your body.

Socialization

Gaming is also important for children's sociability. While video games are being played, they can sometimes boost social communication among peers. Because video games frequently demand teamwork, adventure and puzzle games can also create collaborative abilities beneficial to cognitive growth. Especially during the isolating times of the pandemic, video games were a source of freshness for many people who suffered from depression in their homes.

Negative Effects of Video Gaming On Mental Health

Video gaming addiction is declared to be a serious issue worldwide, with hundreds of people showing clear signs of video gaming addiction and similar issues this is why a major concern rises regarding how video games affect mental health. Here are some concerns arising from excessive gaming in youngsters and adults.

Physical Health

With gaming, you get indulged in competing with the enemies, completing the challenges that you forget the sense of time passing by. This is extremely harmful if you ignore the real world to the point where you forget to eat and drink. This has a negative impact on physical health as sitting in the same chair or the same posture for an entire day increases your chances of early death by several percent.

Sleeping Disorders

People who spend an unhealthy amount of time gaming usually have messed up sleeping schedules. They suffer from sleep withdrawal, especially if they play late at night or with friends from various time zones. Sleep deprivation impairs memory and increases relationship stress, lowering your general quality of life.

Behavioral Issues

People who actively indulge in gaming keep thinking about the challenges in the game and ways to overcome them. This keeps them uneasy, restless, and anxious even when not playing. This makes them easily irritable and frustrated since they cannot find peace until done with a challenge.

Loss of Focus

While excessive gaming may contribute to a lack of long-term concentration capacity, video games are likely to appeal to youngsters who already show signs of attention deficit disorders due to the diversity of experiences they can bring. This means that people addicted to gaming can lose the sense of the true world and engulf themselves in the virtual world to a harmful extent.

How to Minimize Negative Impacts of Video Gaming

Moderation is the key, as it is with many other hobbies that have potential benefits and drawbacks. Most of the negative effects of gaming can be reduced, if not eliminated, by limiting the amount of time spent in front of the screen and engaging in healthy activities such as exercising or socializing in the real world rather than the virtual game world. Here are some simple ways to minimize the mental and physical impacts of gaming.

Gaming Accessories

Not having the right accessories for your gaming setup compromises your performance and can also cause physical injury and burnout. Such as a gaming keyboard or a gaming mouse is specifically made sensitive to touch and doesn't hurt your wrist or fingers over constant use. Other gaming setup accessories include a proper gaming monitor, a gaming chair, and the right type of gaming L-shaped standing desk so you can divide your gaming time into sitting and standing.

Time Management

The impact of video games becomes negative only when played in an uncontrollable amount. Video games should be played within a time limit so one can easily set a boundary between the real and virtual worlds. People who spend excessive hours gaming lose the sense of life; hence they suffer from depression, anxiety, and deprivation when they are not playing video games.

Physical Impact

To minimize the physical impact of video gaming, you must purchase the right kind of gaming furniture. This includes comfortable gaming furniture that is ergonomic and adjustable. Ergonomic gaming chairs are comfortable and minimize the risk of excessive sitting.

They prevent the user from slouching, shrugging, or maintaining a painful angle toward the screen. Modern gaming chairs also come with lumbar support and adjustable headrest, so the sensitive regions of the body are free from any stress. Though these chairs are expensive, you can purchase one with the help of the Autonomous employee purchase program or a gamer purchase program.