Playing video games can be a lot of fun, but the amount of time you spend doing it can have a negative impact on your mental health.
Time is valuable
Video games can be very engaging and enjoyable to play — but just like anything, the act of playing them takes time. Sometimes, the time you spend gaming takes away time you can be spending on something that is much more beneficial to you or much more fulfilling.
These things might include exercise, spending time with friends or loved ones or significant others, spending time learning, or volunteering in your community — things that you can look back on at the end of the day with a great sense of satisfaction and be able to say that it made you feel so much better.
Often, people’s core values go back to things such as learning or service. Too much time spent playing video games can displace the time in your schedule where you would otherwise be doing things that are really valuable for you.
Too much stimulation can be a bad thing
Video games can sometimes be too enjoyable — and have the effect of making everything else seem dull by comparison.
Gaming produces so much dopamine and is so stimulating that it can have a halo effect of making everything else seem less interesting.
We can see a similar effect in the way that we eat food. If you’re eating candy, or a bag of Doritos — something that is engineered to taste particularly wonderful and amazing — and then someone offers you an apple, the apple will seem much less sweet and appetizing than it would be otherwise.
We don’t feel it’s necessary to cut video games out of your life completely.
However — like any fun thing — it is important to take a step back and reflect on the role that video games are playing in your life, and if you might feel happier or more fulfilled by decreasing the amount of time you spend every week on gaming.
About Us
Wells Medicine is a Houston-based practice designed to provide meaningful care for mental health. Providing targeted interventional treatments for Depression, Anxiety, OCD, PTSD and other conditions, with Ketamine Treatments, Stellate Ganglion Blocks, TMS, and Nitrous-Oxide Treatments. Focused on comprehensive care and integration with Psychiatry, Psychology, and Support Services. We are evidence-based, patient-focused and mission-driven.
The content here is for informational purposes and should not be relied upon for medical decisions. For the details of your specific medical conditions and treatments consult your doctors or other qualified healthcare professionals.
