A new study from Oxford University suggests playing video games might not be as much of a waste of time as conventional logic (and your parents) would say.
The study has drawn a positive correlation between time spent playing a video game and wellbeing.
Researchers focused on two popular games – Animal Crossing and Plants vs. Zombie – both fairly harmless titles in terms of violence and content, we’ve been told.
Over 3,000 individual gamers took part, with researchers comparing the amount of time they spend playing the game with the results of a wellbeing questionnaire.
The data reveals that the amount of time spent playing a video game provides a small, yet significant, factor in the overall wellbeing of an individual.
Part of what makes the study so interesting is the data set.
The study is one of the first to link psychological questionnaires with accurate records reflecting the amount of time people spend playing games. While there have been previous studies on the effects of video games, they’ve tended to focus on self-reporting and researchers have found this data to be unreliable.
Professor Andrew Przybylski says this helps us explain and understand how video games can be enjoyed as a leisure activity, adding it “shows that if you play four hours a day of Animal Crossing, you’re a much happier human being.”
So, is this a sign we should park our kids and grandkids in front of the TV with a PlayStation?
Not necessarily.
Researchers noted the two games measured were particularly wholesome, and other, more violent varieties might not have such a favourable effect.
Makes sense to us!
