Is Video Game Addiction Bad For Your Health?

The first thing to keep in mind is that playing video games is an external activity. While they can have a profound effect on your psychology and your brain, it is very different from consuming drugs. Consuming drugs will introduce special chemicals into your bloodstream. People can certainly become addicted to video games but there is a remarkable distinction between video game addiction and foreign substances that enter your body.

So are video games good for you? Is it healthy for you to play video games?

There are all types of hobbies that people have even, those that do not play video games. Some people like to read books, watch movies, or even just watch tv. Playing video games can be just another hobby like that. There is nothing wrong with the simple existence of video games.

Whether video games are right for you or not depends on who you are. If you spend your entire life only playing video games and do not have any thing else going for you, if you are neglecting all of your real life responsibilities, then you may have a problem with video games. However if video games are only one part of your life and you are involved in many other things then it may be healthy for you.

Video games can help stimulate your mind. There’s a lot of brain activity involved in playing video games. This can help you develop new ways of thinking and become more intellectual. Playing video games can also be an opportunity to make friends or develop your friendships. If you are playing with your friends in real life, video games could be another shared activity for you to participate in together. You can also make new friends online and play with them. However there are also many toxic people online who play certain games especially MOBAs. It is important to be mindful of who you choose to play with.

Video games are simply a medium of entertainment. Many people will be able to have a healthy relationship with video games. It is inevitable that there will be a few people who abuse them or become addicted to them. There are however a few distinctions between video games and traditional types of media such as books, radio,  and film. Some games are loaded with micro transactions and designed to hook people into paying as much money as possible. In this sense, these types of video games may be more akin to gambling rather than playing actual meaningful games with substance and purpose. Most literature does not come with micro transactions like that. Literature is also typically consumed solo, and potentially discussed with people later at a book club but video games are often multiplayer and a group activity.

There are many different factors involved in whether video game addiction is pathological or whether video games are just another hobby for you. The keyword to keep in mind is moderation.