Along with "Black Goku", another trending topic is a research conclusion that "video games are good for health"?

In mid-to-late August, Black Myth: Wukong, the first large-scale 3A game based on the Chinese myth Journey to the West, was launched globally. With its exquisite scene design, high-quality gaming experience, and rich Chinese cultural elements, it has created a real and dreamlike world of Journey to the West for players, triggering a "China trend" in the global game market.

The sudden popularity of "Black Goku" has raised a commonplace question: many people, especially parents, always regard video games as a scourge, and even organize an "anti-game alliance." However, as luck would have it, a research result published in Nature on August 17th stated that through research, it was found that although video games as a form of entertainment are often criticized, they seem to really promote health. Hiroyuki Egami, one of the authors of the paper and a behavioral scientist at Nihon University, said: "If you enjoy your hobbies, you will find that it is good for your health."

The first large-scale 3A game in China, "Black Myth: Wukong", is launched globally

Disruptive results

The study, which began in Japan four years ago and covered 97,602 participants aged 10 to 69, explored the relationship between games and mental health. The results showed that owning and using video game consoles may indeed help improve mental health and life satisfaction.

The study found that participants received different game consoles (such as Switch and PS5) through a lottery between 2020 and 2022, and then analyzed their mental health, life satisfaction and game preferences. The results showed that people who own game consoles generally have better mental health and significantly higher life satisfaction than those who do not play games.

They also used machine learning models to analyze the data, which showed that the effects varied by console and its owner’s demographics: For example, younger people who owned a Nintendo Switch saw a greater benefit than older people, and childless people benefited more from a PlayStation 5 than those with children.

This innovative research design not only provides a new perspective for exploring the impact of video games on individual mental health, but also allows us to re-examine the potential value of video games in the fields of social culture and mental health. However, this study was conducted during the COVID-19 epidemic, so the research team also reminded people to consider the impact of this special period on the results, which may not be absolutely accurate. But it still provides important scientific basis for the relationship between games and mental health. Przybylski, a psychologist at the Oxford Internet Institute, commented that this is the "first step" to break the negative stereotypes of games and show their potential benefits.

Owning and using video game consoles may improve mental health and life satisfaction

The therapeutic effects of video games

There is nothing wrong with saying it is a "big step", but saying it is the "first step" is obviously not rigorous, because as early as more than 10 years ago, scientists from all over the world have been paying attention to the field of electronic games. Through various forms of research, they tell us that playing electronic games appropriately can actually add points to many aspects of the body and reach new heights of health.

In 2010, scientists found that playing video games (especially virtual reality games) can effectively relieve anxiety or pain caused by chronic diseases or medical procedures. Scientists organized 71 patients who received emergency treatment due to traffic accidents, and randomly selected 37 of them to play Tetris for 20 minutes, and the other 34 patients were asked to record other routine activities, such as texting, crossword puzzles, reading, etc. The results showed that Tetris players recalled less unpleasant traffic accidents, and the effect was very significant-an average reduction of 62%. This is a low-intensity, short-term intervention method, but it can significantly improve the mental health of those who have suffered psychological trauma.

In 2013, a study showed that action games can help dyslexic children aged 7-13 improve their reading speed without reducing accuracy. The effectiveness of game therapy is equal to or better than traditional reading therapy, but the latter is more time-consuming and less interesting. Researchers believe that the fast pace of such games can make them involuntarily enter the fast-paced plot, which invisibly improves their attention span, which is very important for reading.

In 2015, researchers at the University of California, Irvine recruited 69 volunteers and asked one-third of them to play "Super Mario 3D World" for two weeks, one-third to play "Angry Birds", and the remaining one-third to play nothing. The results showed that the first group of volunteers performed better in subsequent memory tasks, while there was no significant difference in the performance of the other two groups before and after the game. Obviously, the immersive experience of a rich 3D virtual environment can provide meaningful stimulation to the brain.

The brain is responsible for cognitive tasks, including the way we process and understand information, such as vision, hearing, learning, memory, and decision-making. Through experience and learning about the world around us, the brain builds stronger connections between different areas, which is called brain plasticity. Many activities in our daily lives, such as communicating with others, studying at school, and extracurricular hobbies, will have an impact on the brain and cognitive functions, and video games are one of them!

To measure how the brain changes after playing video games, cognitive scientists can use several techniques. One is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which uses strong magnetic fields to show the structure of the brain. With MRI, scientists can see if the cells in the brain change after a certain experience and see how they change. Another technique is functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), which measures blood flow to specific areas of the brain to see which brain areas are active. Still another technique is called electroencephalography (EEG), which measures the brain's electrical signals and can tell how active specific brain areas are at certain moments.

Studies have found that playing video games can increase brain capacity, especially the areas responsible for spatial orientation, memory formation, strategy formulation, and small muscle motor skills. Over a two-month period, 24 participants played games for 30 minutes a day under the monitoring of an MRI machine. The results showed that compared with the control group, the gamers had increased gray matter in the right hippocampus, right prefrontal cortex, and cerebellum. In other words, video games can train specific brain areas. It is for this reason that doctors are also trying to make video games one of the treatments for certain diseases, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's.

Video games have become a treatment for certain diseases, such as schizophrenia and Alzheimer's disease.

Self-control is the prerequisite

Of course, there are also doubts about such a subversive research result. Professor Peter Etchells of Bath Spa University in the UK said that research is usually conducted in a controlled environment in the laboratory, but this is "far from the actual situation of playing video games." In 2019, the World Health Organization also included "gaming disorder" in the International Classification of Diseases. The research results on the effects of playing video games are mixed, and many studies cannot prove its causal relationship with mental health.

Back to our original topic - the impact of video games on the brain and cognition is complex and depends on many factors, such as age, length of time and type of game. In this fast-paced era, everyone is facing tremendous pressure and challenges. As an effective way to relax, games can help us temporarily forget our troubles, release stress and restore energy. Of course, this does not mean that we should indulge in games without restraint. The key is that we must grasp the degree of "moderation".

Research shows that the benefits of playing games for more than three hours a day will gradually diminish. "Sitting for long periods of time" and "not being able to rest your eyes for a long time" can make the body unbearable. In addition, research shows that if the intervals between each game are longer, it will have more positive effects on the brain.

This brings us an important reminder: moderate gaming can balance the needs of entertainment and other aspects of life. Reasonable arrangement of daily gaming time may better play the positive role of gaming. In the process of playing games, we should always pay attention to our physical and mental state. If we find that we are tired or uncomfortable, we should stop playing games and rest in time. At the same time, we should also pay attention to maintaining good work and rest habits and eating habits to maintain our physical and mental health.

In this era full of challenges and opportunities, let us learn to control ourselves, manage time, cultivate diverse interests and hobbies, and maintain positive social interactions while enjoying the fun and relaxation brought by games. Only in this way can we truly achieve the harmonious coexistence of games and physical and mental health, and make games a beautiful landscape in our lives.