Video Games and Stress | Teen Ink

Video Games and Stress

July 30, 2015
By Anna Vale BRONZE, Kingston, Massachusetts
Anna Vale BRONZE, Kingston, Massachusetts
1 article 0 photos 0 comments

Some people play video games to clear their minds and to de-stress from the world around them. Video games are known to be extremely helpful for helping people focus, but they are also known for being a huge distraction for people because they are not able to fulfill their responsibilities. There has been a lot of research done about this particular topic and several debates about whether video games actually are beneficial or detrimental. The conclusion on the debate about video games is that to some people, video games are the stress relief of their daily lives. Video games are a great way to relieve stress and can be very beneficial to people.


People who are in favor of video games believe that it helps them concentrate and relieve stress, and therefore should be allowed in schools and even sold cheaper in the stores. Each student can have their own game they prefer that helps them focus and de-stress from the hectic world around them. Some gamers like violent games that involve shooting and killing while others prefer competitive or creative games like racing or building things. For some people, when they play video games, it helps them forget the stress in their lives and refocus on doing things in a calm manner. Not everyone who says that video games help them relieve stress, agrees that violent video games are the most helpful to them. The DS game “Nintendogs”, a game where you are able to care for your own puppies, is a very relaxing game. “The very act of being around puppies is helpful to the psyche, and can relieve a great deal of stress” (The Video Game Controversy). Some kids enjoy games like “Nintendogs” where they are able to take care of something of their own. Some people will play video games if they are emotionally hurting from something mentally straining in their life.


Even though a few minutes of playing can help people de-stress, people still do not believe it truly helps them overall. Those opposed will find many reasons to protest the amount of use of video games by students because they feel like the students are distracted by the game system. They often think that individuals get addicted to playing a certain game that they never want to stop and then cannot accomplish anything at all. More people than not believe that video games can help them relive stress. People believe that video games can distract them from the good things in life. For those who do not believe in that theory, the fact that “…depression and disorders-as well as everyday stress and worry-involve systematic patterns and self-doubt, and that games can distract people and put them in a different mental zone” (Health Benefits) doesn’t apply to the non-believers. They do not believe that video games can help them relieve stress. They believe that video games take a lot of stress and time to first learn how to play the game. (Potential for Gaming)


My boyfriend is a huge gamer and started playing video games at a young age. He has owned every game system from Gameboy to the newest system, Xbox One. His favorite games are creative games like Minecraft because they are relaxing to him. He is also a big fan of zombies. He agrees that video games help him relieve stress the majority of the time. “When I was in high school, I would always play, when the stress of school was too much for me. I would also play right when I got home from school, so I could relax before starting my homework. Playing video games are “very effective in relieving stress for me because it helps my mind relax and focus on what I love doing instead of the stress. Video games allowed me to take my mind off of whatever was stressing me out and just focus on something that I enjoy” he said. He will also play whenever he is either upset, mad, or just not his regular self. Some people prefer to play violent video games to help eliminate their stress. (Violent Video Game Studies With a Price) He believes that he “should play video games every day to help relieve his stress but that if he ever gets tired of playing video games, he can switch to something else.” All he has to do is turn his gaming system on and play his favorite game and he instantly has a stress relief from either school or something else that was stressing him out. There are a lot of Mental Health Benefits to playing video games to help relieve your stress.

 

Video games help people relieve stress more times than not. I fully agree that video games do help people when they are stressing about life. Video games help distract the individual’s mind from the stressful situation and issue and just calm the individual’s mind. I know from experience because my boyfriend always turns to video games whenever he is dealing with something that is either mentally or emotionally stressful to him. If you are looking for a stress relief, turn on a video game system and start playing. My boyfriend and I guarantee that playing video games will help you relieve your stress in no time.



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