Learning to play video games as an adult has helped transform my inner world.
I played a lot of video games growing up. I have two brothers, and we played Nintendo in the mid to late ’90s, enjoying games such as Aladdin, Tony Hawk’s Pro Skater, and Super Mario Bros.
I never really felt that I got “good” at the games, and my brothers were far better. I played some computer games in middle school and high school, such as Mahjong, Solitaire, and more. I also played a SpongeBob game with the most annoying music of all time. My family still sings the song.
It wasn’t until I started dating my fiancé that I truly got into gaming. The first game that I played just ahead of the start of the pandemic was The Unfinished Swan. Then I played Journey and the Untitled Goose Game. I quickly learned that there are tons of different types of video games, and I like some types better than others. I love Grand Theft Auto V.
I did start to wonder … how is playing The Sims going to help my brain? Read on for what I’ve learned from playing video games and the current research.
Video games may support mental health
In her bestselling book “Reality is Broken,” Jane McGonigal extensively discusses how playing games (video and otherwise) may help us feel happier. She says, “Compared with games, reality is too easy. Games challenge us with voluntary obstacles and help us put our personal strengths to better use.”
The late Brian Sutton Smith, a developmental psychologist, once said, “The opposite of play isn’t work. It’s depression.” In response, McGonigal says that “gameplay is the direct emotional opposite of depression.”
Playing video games helps me relax, get into a flow, and feel engaged in what I’m doing. Depending on the game, it activates an emotional part of my brain and helps me feel like I’ve achieved a goal, no matter how small.
After playing video games, I noticed that my depression and anxiety were both lessened. I take antidepressant medication (Zoloft), an antipsychotic medication (Geodon), and go to therapy. I also exercise, connect with friends and family, and do crafts to treat my symptoms.
My diagnoses include depression with psychotic features, and I also have post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). I’ve found that playing video games offers an additional benefit for my brain, and it’s a benefit that no other treatment has offered me thus far. I feel lighter and have more fun. I also notice feeling a different type of relaxation, where my brain is completely engaged, and only the game is on my mind. It takes my brain to a different plane of thought and flow.
Video gaming brings people together
A few summers ago, my friends and I brought back the local area network (LAN) parties of the ’80s and ’90s. We would all play the Diablo IV together, and also in the same physical space, at a friend’s apartment. It was a great way to do our own thing but also connect in person. We ordered dinner and got to take breaks to chat.
Co-op games can be fun for couples and teach you new ways of getting along together through frustration. I enjoyed playing It Takes Two with my partner, though sometimes I dreaded playing because I was still learning the mechanics of using the PlayStation controller. When we finished the game completely, I had developed more skills with the controller and got less frustrated with myself while playing.
McGonigal has thoughts on this concept, too. She explained that “in a good computer or video game, you’re always playing on the very edge of your skill level, always on the brink of falling off.”
“When you do fall off, you feel the urge to climb back on. That’s because there is virtually nothing as engaging as this state of working at the very limits of your ability — or what both game designers and psychologists call ‘flow.’ When you are in a state of flow, you want to stay there — both quitting and winning are equally unsatisfying outcomes.”
My friends and I also get together to play games like Mario Kart, Mario Party, and Boomerang Fu. It’s a fun, impromptu way to spend our evenings once in a while, especially if we’re too tired to go anywhere but want to be together and do something fun. It’s great for the wintertime and was so helpful during the pandemic.
What the research says
Video game research has increased greatly since around the 2010s.
A 2021 review included research from the online platform Statista highlighting gaming demographics.
Research shows that the majority of gamers worldwide are 18 years or older (79% of gamers), with 41% being female. An average gamer is 34 years old, with people between 18 and 34 years comprising 38% of video gamers, followed by people between 34 and 54 years (26%).
The review evaluated the potential for commercial video games to ameliorate (relieve or decrease) the symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Researchers noted mounting scientific evidence supporting the efficacy of commercial video games for improving mental health outcomes. Their findings suggest that video games may be considered a potential alternative for improving various aspects of mental health globally.
A 2023 article that reviewed available research found that playing video games powerfully elicits nostalgia. Pokémon GO is cited as one of the games studied. Players enjoyed the nostalgia they had for their youth experiences with the Pokémon franchise.
A 2023 study found that video games significantly predicted mental flexibility, planning, visual working memory, visuospatial processing, fluid intelligence, and verbal working memory performance.
The takeaway
Playing video games has made me feel happier and more resilient.
There are so many games out there, from a wine-making game (One Hundred Days) to puzzle games (Blue Prince, Myst) and even one where you ferry spirits to the end of their life (Spiritfarer).
Give it a try and see how gaming makes you feel!
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