Gaming & mental health

Playing a game you enjoy can give your mind a break from worries. Getting absorbed in a puzzle or a story can be relaxing, a bit like reading a good book.

Online games let people play with friends across town or across the world. For some young people, especially those who find face-to-face chat hard, gaming is a main way they connect and feel part of a group.

Teamwork in games can build real skills: planning, communicating, keeping calm under pressure and handling losing.

Strategy and puzzle games ask you to plan ahead, try things and learn from mistakes. Levelling up gives a sense of achievement, which can be a boost when other parts of life feel stuck.

Competitive gaming, school esports teams and watching streamers are a big part of gaming culture. Teams can offer belonging, coaching and goals to work toward, much like traditional sports.

Pressures worth noticing

• Ranked play that makes every loss feel personal
• Late-night matches that cut into sleep
• Feeling you must grind for hours to keep up
• Comparing yourself to pro players or streamers

The World Health Organization recognises that, for a small proportion of people who play, gaming can become a pattern that is hard to control. Gaming takes priority over other interests and daily life, and keeps going even when it’s causing problems.

WHO says this pattern would normally show up over at least a year, and has to cause real harm to family, friendships, school or work. Most people who game, even a lot, never reach this point.

In the 2022 European study, 12% of young people were at risk of problematic gaming, more boys (16%) than girls (7%).

WHO describes gaming disorder as a loss of control over gaming that causes serious problems in personal, family, social, school or work life. Someone who plays for hours with friends but still sleeps, studies, works and keeps their relationships is not what WHO is describing.

WHO says people who game should keep track of how much time they spend, especially when it starts crowding out other daily activities, and notice any changes in their physical health, mood or social life that seem linked to gaming.

Questions to ask yourself

• Am I sleeping, eating and moving enough?
• Am I still seeing friends and family offline?
• How do I feel when I stop?
• Is school or work slipping?

WHO added gaming disorder to its international list of health conditions after reviewing the evidence and reaching agreement among experts from many fields and regions. Treatment programs already existed in many countries, and naming it helps health workers pay attention to risk, prevention and treatment.

In the U.S., there is no official diagnosis for it yet.

• Notice your triggers: times, moods or games that make it hardest to stop
• Cut back in small, manageable steps rather than quitting all at once
• Plan other things that give fun, challenge or connection
• Talk to a therapist about what drives the habit if you can’t cut back alone
• Self-help groups exist for gamers, and for their families and friends

What teen players reported (Pew, 2024)

• Being called an offensive name (41%)
• Being physically threatened (12%)
• Being sent unwanted sexually explicit content (8%)

Some harassment targets who people are. In the ADL survey, identity-based harassment of players ages 10–17 rose to 37% in 2023, up from 29% the year before.

Players describe harassment making them stop enjoying games they once loved. Some avoid voice chat, switch to offline play or leave games altogether.

Try this

• Block and report players who harass you
• Mute voice or text chat, or limit it to friends
• Play with friends you know in private parties or lobbies
• Save screenshots or clips if it’s serious
• Take a break: log off and do something calming

Only about a third of players report harassment, often because it feels normal or the process is unclear. Reporting helps platforms act, so it’s worth doing.

In a 2022 case, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said one popular game had voice and text chat turned on by default, which matched children and teens with strangers and exposed them to bullying, threats and harassment, including sexual harassment. The company agreed to change its settings.

People who want to exploit children use gaming platforms too, not only social media.

• Don’t join in when someone is being targeted
• Say something simple: “Not cool, let’s just play”
• Report harassment even when it isn’t aimed at you
• Check in privately with the player who was targeted

Loot boxes are like locked treasure chests with random virtual items inside. You usually can’t see what you’ll get before you pay. Item packs, prize wheels and “gacha” systems work the same way.

In the U.S., games that sell random items with real money (or with game currency bought with real money) carry the label “In-Game Purchases (Includes Random Items)” on their ESRB rating.

Rewards that come at random, sometimes yes and sometimes no, are especially good at keeping people coming back. A 2021 review of research found that, in 12 of 13 studies, buying loot boxes was linked with problem gambling. The studies can’t show which causes which.

In 2022, the maker of one of the world’s most popular games agreed to pay $520 million to settle U.S. Federal Trade Commission cases. The FTC said confusing buttons led players into unwanted charges, and that children could once buy game currency without a parent’s permission.

$245 million of that went to refunding players. The order bans charging people through tricky design or without their clear consent.

Steps that help

• Agree on spending rules before buying
• Check a game’s rating and reviews before downloading
• Remove saved card details from consoles and phones
• Set a monthly spending limit, like an allowance
• Turn off in-app purchases, or require a password for every purchase

Pediatricians suggest playing with your child. It helps you see what they’re doing and can make it easier to agree on time limits.

Where possible, keep gaming in shared spaces so you can see what’s happening. A family media plan helps check that gaming isn’t crowding out other important activities.

Rules many families use

• A stopping time on school nights
• Consoles and phones charged outside bedrooms overnight
• Homework and chores before gaming
• Voice chat with friends only

Consoles, phones and PCs let parents set spending limits, approve purchases, and limit who can chat with a child. Some games have their own child accounts and controls.

• Losing interest in things they used to enjoy
• Lying about how much they play
• Seeming sad, irritable or anxious when gaming is taken away
• Using gaming to escape a bad mood
• Wanting more and more, and not being able to cut down

In one 6-year study described by pediatricians, about 10% of teens showed unhealthy gaming patterns that got worse over time. Boys, and kids who also struggle with low mood, worry or shyness, may be more at risk.

Pediatricians note that parents who are hooked on gaming may miss signs that their child needs help, and that it’s okay to get support if you’re struggling to limit your own gaming.

Most people who play games never develop problems with it. Gaming can be a hobby, a way to connect and a source of real skills. WHO describes problems with gaming as affecting only a small proportion of players.

WHO describes gaming disorder as a loss of control over gaming that causes serious problems in daily life, usually for at least a year. Hours alone don’t make it a disorder.

72% of U.S. teen players say gaming has neither helped nor hurt their schoolwork. It’s more likely to hurt when someone feels they play too much: 39% of those teens say it has hurt their schoolwork.

Almost all U.S. teen boys (97%) play video games, and about three-quarters of girls do. Girls are far less likely to call themselves “gamers” (17% vs 62% of boys).

Asking someone to stop right now, mid-match, often ends in a fight. A 10-minute warning, or agreeing to stop after the current game, is easier for everyone.

Using gaming to relieve a bad mood is one sign of unhealthy gaming. If it has become someone’s main way to calm down, help them build other calming tools, with support from family, a doctor or a therapist.

• Thank them for telling you
• Help them block, mute and report
• Save evidence if it’s serious
• Avoid banning the game as a punishment: they may stop telling you

Call or text 988, or chat at 988lifeline.org, 24 hours a day. You can reach out for yourself or for someone you’re worried about.

A free, 24/7 text line staffed by trained crisis counselors. Some people find texting easier than talking.

Find A Helpline (findahelpline.com) is a free directory of helplines in more than 175 countries, by phone, text or chat.