Summer’s just around the corner, and in fact, it feels like it’s already here. That means it’s time to hit the pool, hang out with friends and family, and… play games. I’m sure nearly all of us have played games at one point or another. We’re talking Call of Duty, Forza Horizon, Mario, Minecraft, or even a good old basketball match with friends. It’s commonly known that games readily evoke both joy and anger, as well as that they help bring people together, but what’s their impact on the brain? And more specifically, on mental health?
Let’s first discuss outdoor games and activities. The consensus on the effects of outdoor games/activities on mental health seems to be that outdoor games have a positive effect on mental health, especially as levels of the stress hormone cortisol are abated (WebMD; Tweddle). Only when the said activities get too competitive, as in many professional sports, do outdoor games/activities have negative mental health effects that often manifest as stress and depression (WebMD).
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But how about the violence that underlies many video games or the episodes of anger that often consume people as they’re gaming –“gamer rage?” Do games serve as a release valve for anger and violent thoughts or only encourage and amplify them?
Much of the research on this are still unclear, or at least very much conflicting. However, to paraphrase a statement by Tim Winter, president of the Parents Television Council, both sides of the aisle support this conclusion: in moderation, violence in games and gaming in general are unlikely to have substantial detrimental effects, but in excess, they are much like anything else done in overdrive –harmful (Vox). And some games are truly concerning in their levels of violence, like Mortal Kombat with its notoriously graphic, gory “fatalities” or GTA (Grand Theft Auto), which features carjacking, murder, and all sorts of other crimes and violence.
Speaking from personal experience, games that involve battling others or even battling against oneself, from the simplest round of Google’s Snake to a complex multiplayer airplane fighter game, can lead stress levels –and anger– to spike. Especially given that games are designed to be addictive and make you click that “Play Again” button again and again, fury only multiplies over time until it manifests in one form or another. Certainly, much satire has been produced on this matter, with memes and YouTube videos of gamers punching holes through their walls or throwing their computers out of windows like Olympic javelin throwers.
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But at the same time, this is realistic to a certain extent. Performing poorly in a game or being bested by another can truly make you understand what it means for your “blood to boil,” lead you to say things you would never say in a rational state, and wish much evil upon others –just for them performing better.
Where this starts to get concerning is when your anger spreads to other areas of your life and is brought upon others –commonly known in psychology as “displacement” (VeryWell Mind). Frequently uttering some expletive or punching the nearest object every time something doesn’t go one’s way in a game can build up like an instinct. In other words, it can develop into muscle memory and feel more appropriate as a response to angering situations. When it begins to affect those around you as well, it is not only negative to your mental health but also for the mental health of those around you.
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Whatever the precise link between video games and harmful effects on the gamer like heightened aggression, it’s important to note that the research on this is largely inconclusive, or at least inconsistent. On the one hand, you can easily find a study that reports “a significant positive correlation between exposure to violent video games and adolescent aggression” (Frontiers in Psychology) and on the other, a meta-analysis that claims a minimal connection between the two, at best (Association for Psychological Science).
Word games and games “designed to train your brain” are also of interest, like the recently popular game Wordle. There are certainly many positive benefits produced by these games, including enhanced memory, newly learned information, and improved problem-solving skills (Love Belfast). However, even these can lead to much stress if one can’t figure out that last word or the game makes one realize how limited their vocabulary is. :(
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Many gravitate to games as a source of solace, as an escape from the hardships and troubles of life. Perhaps games are mostly better for mental health in that no matter how large the anger experienced from not performing in a game may be, it fails to compare to the stress of actual life, making it ultimately more of a relief than a stressor. Utterly and consistently failing at a game will usually lead one to quit that game anyway and shift to a game one is better at, removing it as a fuel of anger. Additionally, the triumph experienced from overcoming a hard level can make one feel accomplished in ways that life at the moment perhaps cannot. Other common mental health benefits of games include mental stimulation, distraction from pain, social interaction, and emotional resilience (WebMD).
So, then, video games appear to be never-ending paradoxes. They can be the happiest parts of your day or put you in a foul mood. They can make you feel on top of the world or incompetent. They can be a relief for painful thoughts but also end up arousing much anger. What’s clear is that for video games to have a positive, or at least an overall positive, effect on mental health, the gamer shouldn’t let themself get too absorbed into any given game to the point of becoming addicted, and one should always play in moderation. Keep this in mind, and you can safely and happily game away… with the occasional string of expletives.