Good news for gamers! Playing video games BENEFITS mental health, study claims - but only if you play for less than three hours a day

Video games can have a positive mental health effect on people of all ages – unless you play for more than three hours a day – a study suggests. It is often believed that video gaming is bad – especially for children – with concerns it can cause issues with development and socialisation, promote violence and lead to addiction. The World Health Organization (WHO) has even labelled gaming disorder as a health condition, characterised by impaired control over gaming. But now, a study of more than 97,000 people indicates that owning a video game console and playing games can actually have a positive effect on mental well-being. Owing to a shortage of game consoles in Japan between 2020 and 2022, retailers used lotteries to assign a PlayStation 5 or Nintendo Switch to residents aged between 10 and 69.