The Guardian

Video games can improve mental health. Let's stop seeing them as a guilty pleasure | Keza MacDonald

Many still regards video games as a waste of time or downright sinister. But the real story is very different
‘Video games are fun and interesting, and doing fun, interesting things makes you happy.’ Photograph: Chesnot/Getty Images

After an Oxford study showed that people who play more video games report greater wellbeing, the headlines reflected a sense of stunned incredulity. “Playing video games BENEFITS mental health,” exclaimed MailOnline, while Business Insider went with “Video games might actually be good for you.” My dad sent me a clipping from the Times, as he has done every time he’s seen video games mentioned in the paper for the past 15 years, that began with the words “parents beware”. Who’d have thunk it?

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