Is 20 hours of gaming a week bad?

Is 20 hours of gaming a week bad?

When it comes to gaming, the answer is always yes, but how much gaming is acceptable varies from person to person. We have all been guilty of playing video games for hours on end, wondering why we can’t seem to get that high score or why our favourite characters won’t progress further without saving. But what are the potential effects of gaming for an excessive amount of time?

How long is too long?

According to an Oxford study, playing games for over 15-20 hours a week (3 hours a day) may lead to detrimental effects on well-being ( bolded ). But for now, let’s assume that your weekly gaming sessions have stabilized at 20 hours a week, making us wonder, is that amount of gaming still beneficial, or has it reached toxic levels?

Gaming as escapism

For some individuals, gaming serves as an excellent source of relaxation and stress relief. With games as an escape, you might worry about the consequences of overplaying it, but this also assumes you’re aware of any emotional or psychological struggles within the digital realm.

Screen addiction, a real thing!

There’s no doubt that video game addiction is a serious mental health condition where you experience significant distress caused by your gaming habits, as documented in [1]. With social connections, work, or relationships strained because of gaming, addiction doesn’t just involve an abundance of screen time. When screen use becomes excessive and causes disturbances to everyday life, this condition leads to a range of symptoms and the term "screen addiction."

To mitigate the negative impact, some methods exist:

• Monitor total playtime and track hours played by you or the game; the American Academy of Pediatrics states two hours a day (average maximum) as recommended ([3]).
• Plan play breaks within your routine or session (take a step up with a reminder on calendar).

• Choose the amount and type of content wisely so there’s no imbalance.
  Some key points in terms of social consequences:

• Reduced job, school, or college success performance
• Mood swings from guilt about excessive gaming time wasted (or) social withdrawals because of time invested; loss of social interaction can significantly deteriorate mental well-being, further compromising well-being ( [15]
• Overload strain within relationships: spouse / girlfriend / friend dissatisfaction if playtime replaces partner’s requirements
  Important table – Gaming Effects.
  Please note: 18+ hours per week (>6 hours a day, Monday and Monday) is already risky while only 2-4 hours (14% of gaming per capita 1% gaming is very positive) to your screen addiction, stress level as low as it may or, there is not as close your gaming to other things as part time. For all times with 2,5% positive feedback, 12,7 screen addiction level, while 1 as bad it is with an exception if you find no use a lot to gaming) on your social health is no game.