The psychological difference between playing video games to relax and playing to win

Key Points:

• A new study published in the Journal of Affective Disorders finds that adults who play video games primarily to win experience higher anxiety, while those who play to relax, have fun, or improve skills often use gaming to avoid social situations.
• Women gamers tend to play for fun or relaxation and report higher levels of generalized and social anxiety, possibly due to hostile and toxic environments in competitive gaming spaces, whereas men more often play to improve skills or win.
• The study analyzed survey data from over 13,000 gamers, mostly men, focusing on players of League of Legends, a highly competitive game known for stress and verbal abuse, revealing that anxiety impacts gaming hours differently depending on motivation.
• Higher generalized anxiety is linked to lower life satisfaction across all gamers, regardless of their reasons for playing, highlighting the broader negative effects of chronic worry on quality of life.
• Researchers recommend mental health professionals consider individual gaming motivations when addressing screen time, suggesting tailored strategies to manage anxiety and social confidence based on whether a person plays competitively or recreationally.