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'.

Over the past few years, it feels as if there has been a subtle shift in the way that we view video games. That classic trope of games being a socially isolating experience, primarily within the purview of angry, pallid teenage boys, seems increasingly tired and outdated – because it is. Video games are no longer a niche, nerdy pastime. Much the opposite: they are one of, or perhaps the defining entertainment medium of the 21st century. One estimate puts the total number of people across the globe who play video games at 3.09 billion, with data from the US suggesting that two-thirds of American adults play them, with a fairly even split between men and women.