New Study Suggests Video Games May Improve Mental Health

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A new study conducted by Oxford University suggests time spent playing video games may actually be beneficial for mental health.
According to the Associated Press, researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute found that the actual time spent playing had a small but significant positive impact on people’s well-being.
The study is based on survey responses from people who played two games – Animal Crossing: New Horizons and Plants vs. Zombies: Battle for Neighborville. Players were asked to fill out a survey on their experiences that was matched up against playing time logged by the game companies.
“Our findings show video games aren’t necessarily bad for your health; there are other psychological factors which have a significant effect on a persons’ well-being,“ said Andrew Przybylski, the institute’s director of research, in a statement reported by the . “In fact, play can be an activity that relates positively to people’s mental health – and regulating video games could withhold those benefits from players.”