Can’t stop worrying? Why video games help
April 2, 2024 •
Since the fall of the first block of Tetris, people have worried about the addictive nature of video games.
But there’s a reason why they are so good at capturing our attention — and research from UC Riverside suggests that they can have major benefits for our mental health.
“Video games are one of the best ways to get into flow,” said Kate Sweeny, professor of psychology at UC Riverside. “We know from lots of research that flow is most likely to occur if we do something that’s hard, that’s engaging, that’s active. Not something that’s just passive like sitting and watching TV, scrolling through social media.”
Read more about Sweeny’s research — and watch the latest Fig. 1 video — at the UC Newsroom
Tags: mental health, research, UC Riverside, video games
