Many adolescents game a lot without negative effects on their wellbeing

The OxWell Student Survey is one of the largest school surveys of adolescent health and wellbeing in England. The study identified different profiles of adolescents who game for longer periods of time based on their psychological wellbeing, how much time they spent playing games on different electronic devices, and how much control they have over their gaming behaviours. They found that most of the ‘heavy’ gamers were experiencing no negative effects with regards to their well-being and 44% of ‘heavy’ gamers reported higher wellbeing than those who play games less or do not play them at all. It is reassuring to see that, for most, this is not related to co-occurring wellbeing issues or mental ill-health. 1 in 12 adolescents who were ‘heavy’ gamers did report a loss of control over gaming and wellbeing issues.