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What the Research Says
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Video games aren’t just fun and entertaining; some evidence suggests that they can actually be helpful for stress relief. While video games often get negative attention from people who suggest they make kids less social and more aggressive, there is mounting evidence that these interactive games can also have mental health benefits.
At a Glance
Research on the Connection Between Gaming and Stress
Most gamers report that playing video games—even violent games—is away to relieve stressand enjoy playing with friends. Some evidence has even found that many commercially available video games can be helpful in the treatment of mental health conditions such as anxiety and depression.
However, much of the research on video games comes with the presumption that games are stressful or psychologically harmful. While this isn’t the whole story, some evidence supports this assumption.
There is a large body of research suggesting that playing violent video games is positively associated with increased scores on measures of aggression.However, there is still a great deal of debate over how this translates to actual real-world behavior. Many lab studies demonstrating this increased aggression look at thoughts and language but not actual behaviors.
One study found that teens who played violent games experienced minimal increases in feelings of aggression, though the increases were barely detectable; teen girls experienced a slight increase instress.
Research suggests that video games' impact on the stress response is complex and can vary depending on the type of game played. Fighting games are associated with increased physical stress markers (like elevated blood pressure) compared to puzzle games, but they are also associated with higher self-reported positive emotions.
Much of the research that has found a link between video game violence and aggression does not actually show a clear link between exposure to in-game violence and real-world aggression.
For example, most video game players do not walk around blasting strangers with loud noises after playing their games; this is mainly found in lab settings where subjects are asked to do so.
In addition, both groups retained positive feelings toward the other players, though there was slightly higher regard for those who were cooperative. This is another way in which video games can provide positive social experiences and a decrease in stress.
One study compared the stress-relieving effects of playing a simple casual video game to the effects of participating in amindfulness meditationsession.Both groups experienced significant reductions in stress following the intervention.
While participants in the mindfulness meditation group experienced slightly greater stress relief, the researchers suggested that the effects were very similar. Given the popularity of video games, researchers suggest that these tools can be an effective intervention for people coping with stress.
Video games may be a particularly appealing stress reliever for teens, students, young adults, and others who enjoy playing games on computers, tablets, or gaming consoles.
There is evidence that video games can provide a safe and fun outlet for developing ouremotional awareness and coping skills. One study from the Behavioral Science Institute in The Netherlands studied proficient gamers playingStarcraft 2to determine if their in-game coping mechanisms were related to their overall stress levels.
They found that several players who became upset during gameplay found useful coping strategies to handle theirnegative emotions.
One key difference between those who coped well and those who were less effective copers was the ability to monitor their own feelings and internal states. This ability is known as interoceptive awareness.
Applications for Everyday Life
If you are interested in trying video games for stress-relief, it can be helpful to know more about what might help and what you should avoid. Here are some recommended video games to help relieve stress.
These games can be picked up and played for a few minutes and then put down again. They can include simple challenges, short gameplay matches, or the ability to stop and save at any time.
Casual games are enjoyable because they can offer a quick break, a challenging-but-not-stressful experience, and a change in focus. Some casual games includeAnimal Crossing, Minecraft, Stardew Valley, and the Sims 4.
These games involve challenges that can be completed with other players. There are several benefits to this. One of the main benefits is that players can create a network of friends through the game, which can be comforting and may also be empowering. We enjoyed playing games with friends when we were young, and this need doesn’t necessarily go away in adulthood.
Another benefit of cooperative gameplay is that players canhelp one another, offering symbolic support and enabling one another to develop problem-solving skills. These positive experiences and “wins” can feel empowering and buildresilienceto stress.
As subjects have reported, cooperative gaming can relieve stress and create positive feelings among players.These games can be played on handheld gaming systems, over the computer, or even via social media sites like Facebook.
Some games were actually created to help players learn to manage stress more efficiently. While these games aren’t necessarily as “mainstream” as some of the others, they can be especially helpful for stress relief.
Some games train players in meditation while others can even train in biofeedback, helping players build skills in these powerful stress management techniques that can be used in virtually any stressful situation.
There are a number of stress-relief games now available to play on virtual reality (VR) headset devices. Some that you might consider trying on a VR headset include:
Champions of the Shengha is a remarkable game in that it encourages the practice of emotional mastery and allows players to become more powerful in the game and in real life. It’s ideal for teens and others who may have a difficult time learning stress management techniques likemindfulness, but love playing games.
These games can build brain power or specific abilities. The benefit is that not only can they help to take your mind off of what is stressing you, they can help you to build executive function abilities that can help you to solve problems and stay organized in your regular life—abilities that can relieve stress!
Skill-building games can be puzzle games (like crossword puzzles that you can play online or on a handheld game device) or they can be games that require quick thinking. This includes games like:
Recap
Keep in Mind
It’s important to remember that video games can also be time-consuming or evenaddictive, so be careful about that. If you struggle to control how much time you spend playing video games or if playing is causing problems in other areas of your life, consider looking for a different stress relief technique.
For obvious reasons, finding a game that doesn’t require a huge time investment and allows for casual involvement (rather than carrying a stiff penalty if you need to quit a game after a certain amount of time or play only for limited amounts of time) may also be less stressful.
Ultimately, pay attention to how you feel during and after you play. Make adjustments based on your observations.
7 Sources
Verywell Mind uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
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Ferguson CJ, Trigani B, Pilato S, Miller S, Foley K, Barr H.Violent video games don’t increase hostility in teens, but they do stress girls out. Psychiatr Q. 2016;87(1):49-56. doi:10.1007/s11126-015-9361-7
Porter AM, Goolkasian P.Video games and stress: How stress appraisals and game content affect cardiovascular and emotion outcomes.Front Psychol. 2019;10:967. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2019.00967
Roy A, Ferguson CJ.Competitively versus cooperatively? An analysis of the effect of game play on levels of stress. Computers in Human Behavior. 2016;56:14-20. doi:10.1016/j.chb.2015.11.020
Desai V, Gupta A, Andersen L, Ronnestrand B, Wong M.Stress-reducing effects of playing a casual video game among undergraduate students.Trends in Psychology. 2021;29(3):563-579. doi:10.1007/s43076-021-00062-6
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