Nihon University, Hamamatsu Medical School find that video games improve well-being — Analysis of responses from a wide range of ages living in Japan

Although the link between video games and health is often believed to negatively affect vision, physical fitness, and concentration, research suggests that games actually have the potential to improve well-being. A research team has revealed that video games improve subjective well-being (mental health and life satisfaction) in everyday life. The research team consisted of Assistant Professor Hiroyuki Egami of the Institute of Economic Sciences of Nihon University, Special Lecturer Mohammad Shafiul Rahman of the Center for Child Mental Development Research of Hamamatsu University School of Medicine (also a lecturer at Osaka University), Doctoral Student Tsuyoshi Yamamoto of the National Graduate Institute for Policy Studies, Independent Researcher Chihiro Egami, and Associate Professor Takahisa Wakabayashi of the Department of Regional Policy of Takasaki City University of Economics. The research was published in Nature Human Behaviour.

While previous studies were limited to analysis of correlations, this study examined causality by utilizing natural experiments. The natural experiment in this study was the phenomena of gaming consoles being sold by lottery, which occurred against the backdrop of the semiconductor shortage caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The study analyzed 97,602 items of response data collected in an online survey from 2020 to 2022 from 10- to 69-year-olds living in Japan.

The analysis found that playing video game on gaming consoles, such as the Nintendo Switch and Play Station 5 (PS5), improved mental health and life satisfaction among respondents. Furthermore, the results of machine learning analysis suggested that the effects of games vary from person to person, and the contextual factors influencing these effects are complex and diverse. For example, the PS5 was found to have greatly benefited the mental health of adults and men, and the Nintendo Switch was found to be of greater benefit to minors.

The results of this study also did not confirm the stereotype: "games are particularly harmful to children." Future research will likely shed further light on the mechanisms that underlie how games affect individuals and develop game recommendation services to enhance effects that improve well-being based on individual circumstances.

Journal Information
Publication: Nature Human Behaviour
Title: Causal effect of video gaming on mental well-being in Japan 2020-2022
DOI: 10.1038/s41562-024-01948-y