Millions of people today enjoy playing a wide variety of video games; it's not just for teens and children. It’s long been a widely held assumption that for those who enjoy playing video games that they spend a lot of their time alone and that they live a very isolated lifestyle.
Researchers in Sweden wanted to test this notion and investigate whether or not extensive gaming time translated into having fewer relationships with others and lower quality relationships at that.
They included over 100 participants in their study and more than half of them were female. The researchers determined that there was no connection between extensive playing time and isolation, or any inability to make friends and social connections.
Of those participants who were included in the study, they had expressed the ability and self control to limit their game time so that it didn’t negatively infringe upon their other responsibilities and activities etc. They were able to effectively balance their playing time with their studies, time spent with family, and social engagements etc.
Students reported that playing games gave them something in common that they could share and discuss with others, but it wasn't necessarily seen as something that created new friendships.
For some teens who spend a great deal of time playing, they also create their own games, and this has helped to fuel a multi-billion dollar industry. There are thousands of teenagers over the last decade who have made a fortune for themselves as a result of the games that they’ve developed.
Previous studies on gaming have suggested that for those who play, it might help to develop better critical thinking skills, focus, and help to boost academic performance.
Despite any addictive properties that might be present, there are many who are still able to play and enjoy games without the game turning them into a serial killer or prompting them too cut off all of their friendships and live a hermit lifestyle.
However, for those who do spend hours at a time sitting down on the couch or in a chair, playing their favorite games, there are some serious health implications that could come along with embracing such a sedentary lifestyle.
Pics:
Pixabay
The information that is posted above is not intended to be used as any substitute for professional medical advice, or diagnosis or treatment. The above is posted for informational purposes only.
Sources:
https://www.thelocal.se/20180321/gamers-have-just-as-many-friends-as-non-gamers-swedish-study-shows
http://www.bbc.com/capital/story/20180323-how-video-games-make-some-teens-millionaires
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/aug/08/positive-link-between-video-games-and-academic-performance-study-suggests
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/12/171212102158.htm
https://steemit.com/health/@doitvoluntarily/trying-to-reverse-decades-of-sedentary-living
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I'd like to agree with those conducting the survey that gaming in this generation is far more social with net-connectivity, cross-platform games, and voice-chatting. Much like my Steemit experience, all of my gaming friends are in different time-zones.
Long gone are the days of being a gaming basement dweller!~ c;
It makes sense that it is just like any hobby!
I am a gamer from way back when I built my first 486/dx166. That might age me but I have seen the good and bad of video game lifestyle and I made it through.
For me, it is kinda like weed. If you have too much of it during your formative years or teenage years when you are putting in the hard work to figure out how to be a human, it can do permanent social damage that takes a lot to undo. This study with its tight sample of only 17-19 years must have been looking to uncover something specific.
Anyhow, online social may be the path of least resistance when it comes to social interaction but there are benefits. Additionally, introverted sociopaths might seek refuge instead of simple entertainment and gaming competition.
I still love gaming and talk with so many people I gamed with 20 years ago. It is up to me to get off my ass and live life and not think it can be done in front of a screen. I hope everyone comes to this conclusion for themselves or we will have a bunch of this guy.....
I am a gamer from WAAAY back when I built my first Z80 (that's a hopped up 8080 from Zilog). I know that might age me a little bit... :-p
I would say that social media has changed everything, but it had all changed before that. Gas prices were going up, people were driving less and going out less.
So, can you compare just ok friendships with real people, to great conversations with great people that are only online? I don't know. As an introvert, i find it worlds better.
Imagine never getting to talk about parts of your life because it was either considered weird or just was way over your real-life friend's heads? Online you can find groups of people that are just as geeky, or just as... almost anything as you are.
Like Zeke above, i consider it my responsibility to keep things balanced.
Truth be told, I loaded tapes into a vic20 and coded command line games in basic but I figured you can only go back so far without sounding like "walked 10 miles to school in the blinding snow....uphill both ways"
;)
very good post, you really people who are very happy to play the game tend to be more closed and less social because the time he spends alone without interaction with the environment, should play the game just for interlude do not make it as a routine that waste our own time.
Sunday full day and night i just playing a game
lot of time 🌝
Because as you know games is the only one way to cleaning mind to release pressure.
Nowadays the games of this generation are much more sociable, the games also isolate more people are very closed because it spends a lot of time alone, thanks for sharing is publication for those who are addicted to games, happy evening greetings @doitvoluntarily
Yes a less active lifestyle can invite some diseases that eventually seize the real happiness in life. Thank you for sharing information from research that is very useful for us all. Good luck always for you @doitvoluntarily.
I never liked games, maybe because I never had time to devote to this distraction, however my youngest son occupies a lot of time in line games, for their behavior could ensure that they are very addictive.
Thank you very much for sharing this information dear friend @doitvoluntarily