Video games have escalated into a major form of entertainment.But can too much gaming cause health problems? A new study published in Computers in human behavior focuses on these potential consequences. The study found that participating in video game sessions for more than three hours at a time causes various physical problems. This finding highlights the need for interventions that promote healthier gaming habits to reduce these physical effects.
The majority of research on the effects of video games is biased towards its psychological and behavioral effects, often emphasizing concerns related to addiction and mental health. The World Health Organization's inclusion of 'gaming disorder' in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) highlights the growing awareness of the potential negative consequences associated with excessive gaming.
However, the potential physical effects of excessive gaming have been largely ignored. Previous research has suggested the possible effects of excessive gaming on the body, but these insights are often limited to narrowly focused studies, such as studies limited to specific high-risk groups. It is obtained from. Recognizing this gap, researchers set out to investigate the physical effects of prolonged gaming.
“Our interest in video games began when the World Health Organization included gaming disorder in the International Classification of Diseases, a manual used by doctors around the world to diagnose health problems. “We have a general interest in how addiction affects young people, so this piqued our interest and led us to develop this study,” said study author and director of the National Center on Youth Drug Use. explained Daniel Stepanovic, a senior researcher at the university's Department of Psychology. of Queensland.
This cross-site, cross-site study, conducted as part of the 2022 International Gaming Survey, involved 955 participants from four countries: Australia, Canada, the United States, and the United Kingdom. The diverse cohort with balanced gender and wide age range (18–94 years) provided a rich dataset for analysis. Participants reported their gaming habits and the physical symptoms they experienced as a result.
Researchers employed the Internet Gaming Disorder Test-10 (IGDT-10) to assess participants' potential gaming disorders. In addition, research into professional gaming aspirations has provided insight into how serious commitment to gaming correlates with physical health outcomes.
Most of the participants (80%) played the game every day, and the majority participated in extended weekly or daily sessions. Specifically, 27.5% played for more than three hours per session each week, and 16.2% played daily. For sessions lasting more than 6 hours, 19.2% participated weekly and 9% participated daily. Additionally, 17.9% of participants in the past year were classified as having an Internet gaming disorder, and 21.7% were aiming to become professional players.
A significant proportion of participants reported physical problems directly attributable to their gaming habits. 46.1% of participants reported eye fatigue, 45.4% reported hand or wrist pain, and 52.1% reported back or neck pain. These issues are not limited to any particular age group or gender.
Researchers found a dose-response relationship between the frequency of prolonged gaming sessions and the likelihood of reporting physical symptoms. Specifically, they found that people who frequently participated in gaming sessions lasting more than three hours were more likely to report physical problems.
“The main takeaway is that playing video games for three hours straight can increase your risk of experiencing symptoms of physical harm,” Stepanovich told PsyPost. “This could be back pain, eye strain, hand or wrist pain, or other physical symptoms. The impact of video game play on physical harm has received less research attention. “We didn't know what to expect from conducting this study because of the field of play. It was surprising to us that the risk of harm increased after just three hours of continuous play.”
Additionally, the researchers investigated the potential effects of pursuing a career in professional gaming and the presence of Internet gaming disorder on reported physical symptoms. Although the desire to become a professional gamer was associated with more reported physical problems, it did not reach a threshold of statistical significance. However, the presence of Internet gaming disorder showed a more pronounced effect, with those who met criteria for such a disorder reporting significantly higher rates of physical problems.
But “all research can only do so much,” Stepanovic noted. “This study only focused on users who regularly play games, so we don't know if what we found applies to more casual players. Also, we don't know if what we found applies to more casual players. We also don't know how other activities, such as working at a computer, might influence the relationship between video game playing and physical harm.”
“We want to extend the research we've been doing to other cultures where we know that video game play is different from the countries we've studied so far (Australia, Canada, the UK, the US). ” he added. “Video games are a fun and enriching experience for most people. As part of our mission to promote the well-being of young people, we strive to understand the positive and negative aspects of video games.”
The study, “Extended Video Game Play and Negative Physical Symptoms and Pain,” was conducted by Jani Leong, John B. Sanders, Daniel Stepanovich, Calvert Tisdale, Caitlin McClure Thomas, Jason Conner, and Matthew Gullo. , written by Andrew P. Wood. , Gary Chong Kai Cheung.
