Next time you're feeling stressed out, you may turn to a video game for help. NY1’s Technology reporter Adam Balkin filed the following report.
Next time you're feeling stressed out, you may turn to a video game for help.
A new study out of East Carolina University found that so-called "casual" video games can have mood-lifting effects.
In particular, it studied three games - Bejeweled 2, Peggle, and Bookworm – which are all games published by PopCap Games which funded the study.
Researchers found that while different games yield different results, all seem to help lower stress levels, depression, confusion, anger and fatigue in such a significant way that the university is next going to start clinical trials to determine whether doctors should start prescribing these games as treatment.
Dr. Carl Arinoldo, a Long Island psychologist in private practice, was not involved with the study, but for a while now has been suggesting to certain anxious and confused patients that they consider picking up a casual game now and then as a way to take, what he calls, a “mental vacation.”
“As human beings, we cannot think of two competing forces at exactly the same moment,” said Arinoldo. “So when one focuses, one zeroes in on the screen of the game, the negative stuff that's going on in their lives at that particular time while they're doing this doesn't have a chance to get in.”
“People have reported after time of playing these types of games they do feel more relaxed, less pressured and so forth,” said Arinoldo. “TV - you're passive, you're sitting, you’re looking. Watching TV, you're not going to get the cognitive benefits you would in playing this type of game. The improvements in concentration, the focusing, the attention span - all of these types of things, the problem solving.”
Dr. Arinoldo said in his experience, the best types of games are those that don't require shooting or driving or any type of virtual aggressive behavior.
As far as how much to play - it depends on the player. The recommendation is that the “little mental vacation” should not impede on daily responsibilities.
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