Video game play and well-being during the Covid-19 pandemic
A meta-analysis of global findings
Datos Bibliográficos
| ID | 22232802 |
|---|---|
| Autores | Łukasz D Kaczmarek (0000-0001-5565-8334, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań, autor de correspondencia), Patrycja Chwiłkowska (0000-0002-5385-1939, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań), Maciej Behnke (0000-0002-2455-4556, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań), Dariusz Drążkowski (0000-0001-5697-892X, Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań) |
| Año | 2025 |
| Volumen | 12 |
| Número | 1 |
| Fecha de publicación | 2025-08-26 |
| Peer Reviewed | Sí |
| Open Access | Sí |
| Tipo | ARTICLE |
| Revista | Humanities and Social Sciences Communications (JOURNAL) |
| Identificadores de la revista | ISSN: 2662-9992 • E-ISSN: 2662-9992 |
| Editorial | Springer Science and Business Media LLC (PUBLISHER) |
| DOI | 10.1057/s41599-025-05581-6 |
| OpenAlex | W4413732480 |
| Idioma | EN |
| Referencias citadas | 81 |
During the COVID-19 pandemic, video gaming was often suggested as a way to help maintain physical distancing by encouraging people to stay indoors and play games instead of seeking social activities. However, there was concern about whether the increased time spent on video gaming could negatively affect players’ mental health. In our meta-analysis, we synthesized studies to evaluate changes in gaming time during the pandemic and examine its association with positive and negative mental health metrics. We searched databases for studies published from March 2020 to December 2021 reporting gaming time and mental health positive (e.g., happiness, positive affect, relaxation) or negative (e.g., depression, anxiety, stress, loneliness, anger) indicators during the pandemic. We employed random effects meta-analyses with robust variance estimates. We accounted for potential moderators (e.g., world region). In 17 studies (26 effects, n = 18026), we found a small increase in time spent gaming during the pandemic versus pre-pandemic, d = 0.26, 95% CI [0.14, 0.37], p = 0.0004. In 22 studies (100 effects, n = 19752), gaming time was not associated with mental health, r = −0.03, 95% CI [−0.08, 0.02], p = 0.22, regardless of whether it was for positive or negative mental health metrics. Moderator analyses indicated negligible differences across study characteristics ( d
2019-20 coronavirus outbreak · Disease · Meta-analysis · Multimedia · Outbreak · Pandemic · Video game · Computer Science · Educational Games and Gamification · Impact of Technology on Adolescents · Medicine · Psychological and Temporal Perspectives Research · Internal Medicine · Virology
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| Velocidad de citación | historical |
|---|---|
| Altamente citado | No |