Exasperated parents may decry video games as a mind-destroying waste of time as they try to prise their children away from them. But could video games – whisper it – actually be good for us? A new study from Japan suggests they can significantly improve mental wellbeing in children and adults. 'These games can serve as distraction or emotional release, providing stress relief, mood enhancement and a sense of accomplishment,' Dr Hiroyuki Egami, an assistant professor at Nihon University and the lead author of the study, told Good Health. The behavioural scientist, who analysed the effects of gaming on people aged from ten to 69, added that many parents'feel excessively worried about their children's video game habits, fearing potential negative consequences'... but'our study now provides robust scientific evidence to ease some of those worries'.

Playing video games really does seem to boost your well-being, despite the pastime often being maligned. The results come from a study that took advantage of a unique situation amid the height of the covid-19 pandemic. "I guess if you enjoy your hobby, you're going to find a good impact to your well-being," says Hiroyuki Egami at Nihon University in Japan. In 2019, the World Health Organization added "gaming disorder" to its International Classification of Diseases. But research into the effects of playing video games has produced mixed results, with many studies being unable to prove cause and effect when it comes to mental health outcomes.

If "sus" and "vent" mean nothing to you, then you've somehow missed out on the smash-hit multiplayer game Among Us. But with numbers playing the online game heading towards 100 million, maybe you'll find out before Christmas how good you are at being an "impostor" . For the uninitiated, Among Us is the sleeper game hit of 2020. The premise is simple: it's Cluedo or Wink Murder on a spaceship with four to 10 players of crewmates and impostors. The crewmates perform simple tasks for take-off, while impostors sabotage operations and kill other players.

There is no strong evidence to support fears that screen time is inherently bad for children, experts have warned, adding that the recognition of so-called gaming disorder by the World Health Organisation is premature. Time spent using devices ranging from computers to smartphones and televisions has been the subject of debate after the UK's culture secretary Matt Hancock called for parents to set boundaries for their children on the use of tech. "Unlimited and unsupervised access to smartphones can be a portal to some very serious risks. And the chief medical officer has highlighted growing concerns around the impact on children's mental health. This backs up every parent's instinct; that children must be protected," he said.

A fraudster who met her victim on a dating website for naturists scammed him out of £50,000. Moira Etchells, 45, met Ian Chatting-Tonks in 2013 and persuaded him to lend her the cash to start a business artificially inseminating cows. Swansea Crown Court heard she spent £35,000 on a new Land Rover and banked the rest. Etchells, of Llanelli, Carmarthenshire, admitted fraud and got an 18-month sentence, suspended for two years. Widower Mr Chatting-Tonks, from Norfolk, went online to search for a new partner who was also interested in naturism, which is when he found Etchells' profile.