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Calmer video games can cause the players to be more happy

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Calmer video games can cause the players to be more happy

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This article talks about video games and how gentler video games can result in a person being more kind as well as happy. It is said that violent video games may lead to aggression and anger in a person, however, the opposite is also true. More relaxing video games may lead a person to become more kind and happier. In a mood measurement, those who play video games are said to be more happy, loving, and joyful, and they feel more positive emotions than those who do not play video games or those who play violent games feel negative emotions

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How video games teach us about happiness

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How video games teach us about happiness

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The Adventures to Authenticity article explores how video games contribute to our understanding of happiness. It searches into the nature of gaming, highlighting how virtual experiences can mimic real-life challenges and wins. The article emphasizes the positive impact of video games on mental well-being, discussing how they foster resilience, problem-solving skills, and a sense of achievement. It also touches on the social aspects of gaming, emphasizing the communities formed around shared interests. Ultimately, the piece suggests that video games offer valuable insights into the complexities of human happiness, providing a unique lens through which to explore and enhance our well-being.

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Playing video games makes us happy, but can they teach us more about what is happiness and how to find it in other parts of our lives?

Video games are amazing! They allow us to immerse ourselves in worlds of imagination, participate in non-stop action and exciting stories, and let us play characters with extraordinary abilities.

Doing something that we enjoy makes us happy. But can video games teach us more about what happiness is and how we find it in the rest of our lives?

What is Happiness?

What does it mean to be happy? Most of us can identify when feeling sad that low energy, hopelessness, or empty feeling. But what about being happy?

Happiness can encompass feeling joy, love, euphoria, and so much more. According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, happiness is: " A state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience; joy."

You might describe the feeling of happiness as high energy, optimism, excitement, hopefulness, and heightened alertness. But happiness is not a constant state of euphoria. It can be a calm feeling of contentment or satisfaction with our state of being. And it may not even be based on our current situation. We can feel happy from our optimism about the future or having a sense of gratitude for the blessings that we received in the past.

Happiness is surprisingly difficult to define. There is even dedication in science called positive psychology that's purpose is to explore how people define and find happiness and fulfillment in their lives.

But being happy is so much more than just doing activities that we enjoy. Happiness can come from so many aspects of our lives.

How Does Playing Video Games Make Us Happy?

Many of us feel happy when playing our favorite video games, but what does science say about gaming and happiness?

In 2021, researchers looked at children that were undergoing chemotherapy. To find ways to help them, these patients were given video games, drawing, or storytelling with a control group that received no additional activity. Those that played video games rated their increase in happiness the highest. It was greater than the drawing or storytelling groups and almost doubled from the control. These participants identified themselves as happiest, but the gamer group also recorded the highest increase in relaxation scores.

Another study looked to review the quality of life in long-term care facilities residents. Two groups were created, one that added video games to their activity plan and the other that did not. Those that played video games were found to be happier. But also, these participants showed significant increases in self-esteem over the group that did not play video games.

In a 2018 paper by the University of California, family members who play video games benefit from the activity. Not only were they happier, but they also enjoyed an increase in family satisfaction and closeness.

And in a widely publicized study by Oxford University, scientists compare video gameplay time versus player happiness. The study confirmed what many gamers already knew, that playing video games is positively associated with being happy. But the study went on to suggest that players' experiences during the game may be the most significant factor in how gaming makes us happy and adds to our well-being.

This study looked at players of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, two dramatically different titles and game styles. Similar results were achieved for both games. Researchers suggested that while the length of time playing had a significant impact, it may be the player's experience may have contributed to the increases in their general well-being. One suggestion was that both games in the study included a level of competence over time and social aspects that players utilized frequently.

Science shows what most of us already knew that playing video games makes us happy. But in all of these studies, there was something additional beyond just the enjoyment of gaming. From relaxation, self-esteem, family closeness, and socialization, it seems there is something more is going on when we get happy during gaming.

What Can We Learn About Happiness from Video Games?

Having fun while gaming is more than mashing buttons. There are so many other aspects of video games that can make us happy. How does gaming make us happy, and are they tied to these additional benefits that scientists found while studying gaming?

Here are some ways that we gain happiness from video games.
Competence
Starting a level 1, we're total noobs. Whether we're trying to figure out a simple puzzle or fight the easiest monster, we don't have a lot of skills yet. But as we level up, we get better as characters and as players. This sense of competence can make us happy.
Achievement
Ever faced a challenging boss battle? Maybe you lost life after life trying to beat him. But you finally succeeded that last time loaded up with potions and a solid strategy. Maybe even giving out-loud cheer with a sense of victory. And in achieving it, there was a sense of happiness.

Teamwork

Adventuring is a dangerous business. Some dungeons and battles are too difficult to try to win alone. Working together with others, everyone plays their part. And we achieve as a team what we could not do alone. This teamwork and togetherness can bring us a sense of joy.

Accomplishment

From completing a quest line, maxing out a character, to gaining achievements, there are so many ways that we can feel accomplished in video games. And we gain true feelings of pleasure from having a sense of accomplishment and completion.

Seeking Meaning

In video games, we feel like we become our characters. As we follow them through their questline from a low-level nobody to becoming the hero of the realm, we see meaning and purpose in the lives of our characters. And through the sense of immersion and feeling like their questlines are our own, we gain the positive emotions from this sense of purpose and meaning.

Helping Others

In gaming, there are often a lot of quests that require helping a townsperson or rescuing someone from a monster or dungeon. Even though these characters may be NPCs, we still feel like helping others when we save them. We gain a sense of being helpful and feeling good about our characters' actions.

Socialization

Whether it's an in-game chat, Discord server, or playing together in person on consoles, socialization is an integral part of many video games. And as noted in the Oxford study, this socialization may be a significant contributor to how video games make us happy.

Stress Relief

Like the previous one on chemotherapy patients, several recent studies have connected gaming and relaxation. Several studies have linked gaming to reducing symptoms of anxiety. And while gaining a sense of calm may be far from the fist-pumping excitement of victory, both contribute to a sense of happiness.

Life Lessons from Gaming

Gaming teaches us so much more than just playing a game. And these same aspects of happiness that we can gain through gaming can be applied to the rest of our lives as well. In fact, these traits are among those who consider themselves happy people overall.

1. Set goals

Having goals to work towards can give that same sense of achievement as winning that boss battle. And happy people celebrate their successes and accomplishments in life, just like when we're awarded in video games and level-up.

2. Practice Self-Care

Self-care is important to happy people. And they practice stress management and seek out friendships and socialization as part of a healthy lifestyle.
3. Working with Others
Whether it's doing a raid battle or working on a big project, happy people know the importance of teamwork. They know that they can achieve much more together than if they had to struggle alone. And they understand that there is joy in helping others and feeling useful and needed.

4. Finding Purpose

Like our heroic characters in video games, happy people seek meaning and purpose in their lives. From figuring out how they can make a difference to utilizing their skills and abilities to the fullest, there is happiness in finding meaning in life.

How can we embrace these lessons from gaming and happiness? Try adding these steps to your own life. It may not seem as fun as fighting dragons and magic, but you may be surprised that it's not just gaming that brings joy. By finding what makes you happy while playing video games that you can embrace throughout your life.

This article was originally published as a guest post on Journey of a Counsellor, April 7, 2022

Author:

Laurie Trueblood is a writer and life coach that enjoys fantasy, science, psychology, and everything nerdy. As the founder of Adventures to Authenticity, her mission is to help others level up and become the best versions of themselves.

Playing video games makes us happy, but can they teach us more about what is happiness and how to find it in other parts of our lives?

Video games are amazing! They allow us to immerse ourselves in worlds of imagination, participate in non-stop action and exciting stories, and let us play characters with extraordinary abilities.

Doing something that we enjoy makes us happy. But can video games teach us more about what happiness is and how we find it in the rest of our lives?

What is Happiness?

What does it mean to be happy? Most of us can identify when feeling sad that low energy, hopelessness, or empty feeling. But what about being happy?

Happiness can encompass feeling joy, love, euphoria, and so much more. According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary, happiness is: " A state of well-being and contentment; a pleasurable or satisfying experience; joy."

You might describe the feeling of happiness as high energy, optimism, excitement, hopefulness, and heightened alertness. But happiness is not a constant state of euphoria. It can be a calm feeling of contentment or satisfaction with our state of being. And it may not even be based on our current situation. We can feel happy from our optimism about the future or having a sense of gratitude for the blessings that we received in the past.

Happiness is surprisingly difficult to define. There is even dedication in science called positive psychology that's purpose is to explore how people define and find happiness and fulfillment in their lives.

But being happy is so much more than just doing activities that we enjoy. Happiness can come from so many aspects of our lives.

How Does Playing Video Games Make Us Happy?

Many of us feel happy when playing our favorite video games, but what does science say about gaming and happiness?

In 2021, researchers looked at children that were undergoing chemotherapy. To find ways to help them, these patients were given video games, drawing, or storytelling with a control group that received no additional activity. Those that played video games rated their increase in happiness the highest. It was greater than the drawing or storytelling groups and almost doubled from the control. These participants identified themselves as happiest, but the gamer group also recorded the highest increase in relaxation scores.

Another study looked to review the quality of life in long-term care facilities residents. Two groups were created, one that added video games to their activity plan and the other that did not. Those that played video games were found to be happier. But also, these participants showed significant increases in self-esteem over the group that did not play video games.

In a 2018 paper by the University of California, family members who play video games benefit from the activity. Not only were they happier, but they also enjoyed an increase in family satisfaction and closeness.

And in a widely publicized study by Oxford University, scientists compare video gameplay time versus player happiness. The study confirmed what many gamers already knew, that playing video games is positively associated with being happy. But the study went on to suggest that players' experiences during the game may be the most significant factor in how gaming makes us happy and adds to our well-being.

This study looked at players of Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville, two dramatically different titles and game styles. Similar results were achieved for both games. Researchers suggested that while the length of time playing had a significant impact, it may be the player's experience may have contributed to the increases in their general well-being. One suggestion was that both games in the study included a level of competence over time and social aspects that players utilized frequently.

Science shows what most of us already knew that playing video games makes us happy. But in all of these studies, there was something additional beyond just the enjoyment of gaming. From relaxation, self-esteem, family closeness, and socialization, it seems there is something more is going on when we get happy during gaming.

What Can We Learn About Happiness from Video Games?

Having fun while gaming is more than mashing buttons. There are so many other aspects of video games that can make us happy. How does gaming make us happy, and are they tied to these additional benefits that scientists found while studying gaming?

Here are some ways that we gain happiness from video games.
Competence
Starting a level 1, we're total noobs. Whether we're trying to figure out a simple puzzle or fight the easiest monster, we don't have a lot of skills yet. But as we level up, we get better as characters and as players. This sense of competence can make us happy.
Achievement
Ever faced a challenging boss battle? Maybe you lost life after life trying to beat him. But you finally succeeded that last time loaded up with potions and a solid strategy. Maybe even giving out-loud cheer with a sense of victory. And in achieving it, there was a sense of happiness.

Teamwork

Adventuring is a dangerous business. Some dungeons and battles are too difficult to try to win alone. Working together with others, everyone plays their part. And we achieve as a team what we could not do alone. This teamwork and togetherness can bring us a sense of joy.

Accomplishment

From completing a quest line, maxing out a character, to gaining achievements, there are so many ways that we can feel accomplished in video games. And we gain true feelings of pleasure from having a sense of accomplishment and completion.

Seeking Meaning

In video games, we feel like we become our characters. As we follow them through their questline from a low-level nobody to becoming the hero of the realm, we see meaning and purpose in the lives of our characters. And through the sense of immersion and feeling like their questlines are our own, we gain the positive emotions from this sense of purpose and meaning.

Helping Others

In gaming, there are often a lot of quests that require helping a townsperson or rescuing someone from a monster or dungeon. Even though these characters may be NPCs, we still feel like helping others when we save them. We gain a sense of being helpful and feeling good about our characters' actions.

Socialization

Whether it's an in-game chat, Discord server, or playing together in person on consoles, socialization is an integral part of many video games. And as noted in the Oxford study, this socialization may be a significant contributor to how video games make us happy.

Stress Relief

Like the previous one on chemotherapy patients, several recent studies have connected gaming and relaxation. Several studies have linked gaming to reducing symptoms of anxiety. And while gaining a sense of calm may be far from the fist-pumping excitement of victory, both contribute to a sense of happiness.

Life Lessons from Gaming

Gaming teaches us so much more than just playing a game. And these same aspects of happiness that we can gain through gaming can be applied to the rest of our lives as well. In fact, these traits are among those who consider themselves happy people overall.

1. Set goals

Having goals to work towards can give that same sense of achievement as winning that boss battle. And happy people celebrate their successes and accomplishments in life, just like when we're awarded in video games and level-up.

2. Practice Self-Care

Self-care is important to happy people. And they practice stress management and seek out friendships and socialization as part of a healthy lifestyle.
3. Working with Others
Whether it's doing a raid battle or working on a big project, happy people know the importance of teamwork. They know that they can achieve much more together than if they had to struggle alone. And they understand that there is joy in helping others and feeling useful and needed.

4. Finding Purpose

Like our heroic characters in video games, happy people seek meaning and purpose in their lives. From figuring out how they can make a difference to utilizing their skills and abilities to the fullest, there is happiness in finding meaning in life.

How can we embrace these lessons from gaming and happiness? Try adding these steps to your own life. It may not seem as fun as fighting dragons and magic, but you may be surprised that it's not just gaming that brings joy. By finding what makes you happy while playing video games that you can embrace throughout your life.

This article was originally published as a guest post on Journey of a Counsellor, April 7, 2022

Author:

Laurie Trueblood is a writer and life coach that enjoys fantasy, science, psychology, and everything nerdy. As the founder of Adventures to Authenticity, her mission is to help others level up and become the best versions of themselves.

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How Video Games Teach Us About Happiness - Adventures to Authenticity

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There are many positive health effects of video games. Playing video games is fun and makes us feel happy. But it's more than mashing buttons that bring us joy. What does science say about our gaming and happiness?

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Oxford studies say that video games may be the key to happiness

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Oxford studies say that video games may be the key to happiness

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The LADDERS article covers an Oxford study suggesting that an often frowned upon activity, video games, may hold the key to happiness. The study explores the positive effects of video games, challenging its negative connotations. It reveals how video games can strengthen social bonds, foster a sense of belonging, and even serve as a form of indirect communication about social norms. The article argues that video games contribute to a healthier social environment and an increase in happiness. By reevaluating the role of video games, the study prompts a reconsideration of its impact on interpersonal relationships and overall well-being, challenging preconceived notions about this commonly criticized behavior.

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"The Sydney Morning Herald" explores the positive impact of video games on mental well-being in the article "The brain gain: why video games can make people happy." It dives into how gaming stimulates the brain, enhancing cognitive abilities, problem-solving skills, and creativity. The article emphasizes the psychological benefits, such as stress relief and improved mood, associated with the immersive gaming experience. It also addresses the social aspect of gaming, pointing towards the friendships and communities that arise from shared virtual experiences. Ultimately, the piece suggests that video games have the potential to contribute significantly to individuals' happiness and mental health.

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The brain gain: why video games can make people happy

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Video games, whether violent or not, are a lightning rod for speculation and fear regarding their impact on children and adults alike.

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Video games may provide benefits including learning, health, & social benefits

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Video games may provide benefits including learning, health, & social benefits

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The American Psychological Association's review highlights the multiple benefits of video game play in their article, "Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits." It outlines how gaming goes beyond entertainment, and how it fosters cognitive skills such as problem-solving abilities, and it enhances learning outcomes. The review underscores the positive impact on mental health, citing stress reduction, a promotion in relaxation, and mood improvement such as an increase in happiness. Additionally, the article explores the social advantages of gaming, emphasizing the formation of social connections and teamwork. By acknowledging the diverse benefits, the review challenges negative stereotypes surrounding video games.

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Video game play may provide learning, health, social benefits, review finds

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Playing video games, including violent shooter games, may boost children’s learning, health and social skills.

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Study finds that video games can be good for kids

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Study finds that video games can be good for kids

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CBS News reports a study affirming the positive effects of video games on children. The article emphasizes that, contrary to common concerns, gaming can be beneficial for kids. The study reveals cognitive and social advantages, including improved problem-solving skills and enhanced creativity. It addresses the misconception that all video games are detrimental, underscoring the importance of content selection. The article encourages a nuanced perspective on gaming, recognizing its potential as an engaging and educational tool for children. By shedding light on the positive aspects, it aims to reshape the conversation around video games and their role in the development of young minds.

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Children who play video games for up to an hour a day are less hyperactive, more social and happier than those who don't play at all, according to an Oxford University study.

The results contradict widespread concerns that video game use by kids is harmful.

The study, appearing in the journal Pediatrics, looked at boys and girls between 10 and 15 years old and found that playing for as much as an hour a day could actually be beneficial.

The study focused on almost 5,000 kids and compared those who didn't play at all with those who indulged in console games such as Nintendo Wii and Sony Play Stations, or computer-based games.

"Young people who indulged in a little video game-playing were associated with being better adjusted than those who had never played or those who were on video games for three hours or more," the study concluded.

"Those who played video games for less than an hour ... were associated with the highest levels of sociability and were most likely to say they were satisfied with their lives. They also appeared to have fewer friendship and emotional problems, and reported less hyperactivity than the other groups."

Those who played such games for up to three hours a day seemed to show no effects, positive or negative.

But those who played for more than three hours a day did see some harmful effects.

"Games provide a wide range of novel cognitive challenges, opportunities for exploration, relaxation and socialization with peers," the reseachers observed. "Like non-digitally mediated forms of child play, games may encourage child well-being and healthy social adjustment."

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Video games can be good for kids, study finds

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Children who play video games for up to an hour a day are less hyperactive, more social and happier than those who don't play at all, according to an Oxford University study. The results contradict widespread concerns that video game use by kids is harmful.

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