Studies show that excessive gaming can lead to poor emotional regulation. Poor emotional regulation contributes to mood problems such as anxiety, depression, and aggression.
Vision problems are common complaints of gamers. The most common vision problem is eye strain, which can lead to headaches and poor concentration. Gaming has been reported to result in seizures, leading to warnings on the packaging. Gaming has also been associated with psychological problems.
Gaming is really a workout for your mind disguised as fun. Studies have shown that playing video games regularly may increase gray matter in the brain and boost brain connectivity. (Gray matter is associated with muscle control, memories, perception, and spatial navigation.)
The Dangers of Too Much Gaming
While there can be some benefits to playing video games, both on behavior and brain health, it's not a risk-free hobby. Playing games for an extended period of time on a regular basis isn't good for your physical health and can possibly hinder your social skills.
The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours per day of screen-based entertainment. Parents should create a “media plan” that dictates what hours a child can enjoy video games without affecting behavior and homework, Radesky says.
Gaming addiction is a compulsive mental health disorder that can cause severe damage to one's life. It's common for a video game addict to spend over 10 hours a day gaming, usually well into the night, and many suffer from sleep deprivation 2.
Video games increase intelligence
The results showed that those children who spent an above-average amount of time playing video games increased their intelligence by approximately 2.5 IQ points more than the average.
For kids over the age of 6, the American Academy of Pediatrics says no more than 60 minutes on school days and 2 hours on non-school days. Kids under 6 should spend closer to 30 minutes. It's also appropriate for parents to know and approve the games their kids are playing.
Functional MRI brain imaging analyses found that children who played video games for three or more hours per day showed higher brain activity in regions of the brain associated with attention and memory than did those who never played.
The researchers found that while gamers and non-gamers showed no difference in erectile and orgasmic function, gamers were less likely to report premature ejaculation than non-gamers. A lessened desire for intercourse among gamers, the researchers hypothesized, could be responsible for this finding.
Hand and wrist exercises to boost esports health
Also try exercises like moving your wrists in circles, flexing your fingers and stretching your wrists at least once an hour. Every game has some downtime every now and then, so put this time to good use by giving your hands and wrists some relief.
One of the biggest negative effects of video games can lead you to struggle with regulating your emotions properly. Studies show that people diagnosed with Internet gaming disorder are more likely to be aggressive, depressed, and anxious.
Why are online games so toxic? Players sometimes rationalize toxic gaming culture as a normal and acceptable part of gaming. Research has shown that toxic behavior is contagious2 among players and exposure in previous games increases the likelihood that a player will commit toxic acts in future games.
It's now some eight years later and toxic behavior still hasn't been eradicated online, with data from Statista's Global Consumer Survey (GCS) showing that nearly one in five U.S. gamers say toxic behavior and sexism are issues within the gaming community today. But it's not all bad news.
Video game addiction, also called internet gaming disorder, is a condition characterized by severely reduced control over gaming habits, resulting in negative consequences in many aspects of your life, including self-care, relationships, school and work.
According to Divorce Online, men playing video games is cited as at least a partial cause in 15% of divorce cases.
The main reason is that video games increase perceptual abilities, improve short-term memory, and help focus longer. On top of that, playing games sharpens the mind and boosts brain power. This is because most games require the person to react fast, and come up with a solution to a problem with immediacy.
That seemed to be confirmed by the study, which compared people's levels of skill in the games with their IQ. The better people were at playing, the more their intelligence score, it found.
Video games can be used to help improve test scores, teach life and job skills, improve brain function, and encourage physical exercise. Because video game addiction can negatively impact social and physical health, parents should be aware of the symptoms.
Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that becomes active when individuals participate in something fun and pleasurable, like video games. Some research has shown that dopamine levels rise when kids play video games and therefore, they want to continue to play to get this “hit” of dopamine.