Playing games during the COVID-19 pandemic plays an important role in our psychological well-being.
To prevent the spread of the virus, the World Health Organization (WHO) partnered with the gaming industry and launched the campaign #PlayApartTogether, last March 2020.
The campaign encourages people to stay at home, play video games and practice physical distancing.
Concerns were raised about the promotion of web-based gaming, wherein previous studies connected poor mental health, sleep problems, and physical inactivity to excessive gaming (Ellis et al, 2020).
A recent study conducted by Hannah R. Marston showed that playing games in the COVID-19 era can alleviate the loneliness and social isolation we are experiencing.
Playing games reduces stress, depression, and sense of loneliness through in-game socialization. Games are fun! It provides an interactive space where you can communicate with friends, colleagues, or even strangers around the world.
On the other hand, according to Lin Zhu’s “The psychology behind video games during COVID‐19 pandemic: A case study of Animal Crossing: New Horizons,” games are our dreamland.
It offers experiences that you can’t do and have in real life. In short, you can be anything you want to be! It is also an escape from your real-life problems (Turkle, 1995). Take note, there are no diseases, disasters, work, and demanding bosses in the game world.
We always have to remind ourselves that too much of anything is bad. Games are supposed to be played in moderation. Make sure to only play games in your free time and don’t forget that you still have to live a life outside of the game world. (PIA NCR)
References:
Ellis, L. A., Lee, M. D., Ijaz, K., Smith, J., Braithwaite, J., & Yin, K. (2020). COVID-19 as 'Game Changer' for the Physical Activity and Mental Well-Being of Augmented Reality Game Players During the Pandemic: Mixed Methods Survey Study. Journal of medical Internet research, 22(12), e25117. https://doi.org/10.2196/25117
Harston, H. R., & Kowert, R. (2020). What role can videogames play in the COVID-19 pandemic?. Emerald Open Research, 2, 34. https://doi.org/10.35241/emeraldopenres.13727.1
Turkle, S. (1995). Life on the screen: Identity in the age of Internet (pp. 177-209).
Zhu, L. (2020, September 09). The psychology behind video games DURING COVID‐19 pandemic: A case study of Animal CROSSING: New Horizons. Retrieved April 15, 2021, from https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/hbe2.221
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