One must remember that life outside the screen is more important than life inside the screen for health and overall well-being.
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Research shows Gaming affects both mind and body. Excessive play is linked to anxiety, depression, poor sleep, and posture problems, while moderate gaming can reduce stress and build social bonds. The challenge to strike a balance with digital hygiene that helps gamers to enjoy the benefits while avoiding the health costs of overuse.
If you were to walk into an Indian home on any given weekday evening, it is very likely that at least one person in the house would be engaged in some form of gaming, for at least two to three hours at a stretch, on a device such as a phone, console, or computer.
Research is now quantifying what this means in terms of mood, sleep, eyesight, posture, and even how often young people experience feelings of anxiety or low mood.
The question is no longer whether gaming is linked to health, but how different patterns of gaming, such as short, frequent gaming compared to longer, more continuous gaming, show up in the body and brain.
Studies conducted over the last few years present a mixed but more clear-cut picture. In 2025, a review published in the journal JMIR Mental Health brought together data from large groups of youth.
The review concluded that more gaming time was associated with more depression, anxiety, obsessive thoughts, and self-harm, particularly if it was more than a couple of hours per day.
The authors note, however, that this doesn’t mean video games are the sole cause of these issues, but rather excessive gaming and poor mental health often go hand in hand.
A more recent review published in JMIR in early 2026 investigated teenagers with both very high levels of leisure screen time and evidence of internet gaming disorder or addiction to video games.
The review found that teenagers with both of these tendencies had over seven times the odds of suffering from mental health conditions compared to teenagers with lower levels of screen time and without gaming addiction.1 This includes depression, anxiety, and conduct disorders.
On the flip side of the coin, all gaming is not bad news. According to reports out of Johns Hopkins University and the American Psychological Association for 2024-2025, many teens find video games to be beneficial for reducing stress and for helping them feel closer to their friends. 2
However, there are still negative aspects such as bullying, sleep deprivation, and cyber-harassment to deal with in these virtual worlds.3 There are even special video games designed to help teens deal with stress and anxiety instead of adding to it.
Clearly, there are two sides to the mental health effects of gaming. The length of time you play, the types of games you play, and whether you can turn off your console when you are finished all make a difference.
The effect on the body is something you can see and feel. Long periods of gaming mean hours spent slumped in front of screens, with little movement and high concentration.
A study carried out in 2024 at the University of Queensland, involving almost a thousand gamers in four different countries, found that gaming for three or more hours a day without a break was strongly linked to physical complaints, even when controlling for age and gender.4
Those gamers in the category of 3+ hours without a proper break reported more complaints of eye strain, headache, pain in the wrists, hands, back, and neck than those gaming for fewer than three hours.
Various other studies have linked hours of extreme video gaming and social media usage among university students to lower levels of physical activity and sleep. Both factors are known to directly corrupt one’s weight, energy levels and fitness.
A large number of gamers, even enthusiastic gamers are not addicted to gaming. When life demands, they stop playing.
Nonetheless, health experts now recognize that there exists a small group of gamers who manifest a pattern of behavior more representative of disorder than hobby.
The latest version of the International Classification of Diseases, ICD-11, released by the World Health Organization has included the gaming disorder.5
The term gaming disorder refers to a type of condition where a person is unable to control the use of gaming for a longer time interval. In fact, this is a type of behavioral addiction similar to substance addiction.
Such a person is often found neglecting their school, work, and personal life and duties owing to excess compulsion of using gaming. The experts at the WHO addressed this issue in the year 2019.
Parents, partners, and even gamers themselves often want a simple answer: two hours? Three? None on school nights?
Researchers haven't found a consensus on the magic number yet, but some trends are beginning to appear. The University of Queensland study found that over three hours of straight gaming was when the physical problems started to become more significant.
A number of large mental health studies collated in JMIR and other scientific journals appear to show that in children and adolescents, gaming over two hours per day or more particularly in conjunction with screen time in general, appears to be associated with more depression, anxiety, and attention issues.
The idea of giving up games altogether is unrealistic and not even necessary for the majority of people. What everyone, including families, aims for is a middle ground, not a ban.
The term digital hygiene has been used by several health organizations in recent years. It refers to basic steps people can take to minimize the damage without stigmatizing technology. For gamers, digital hygiene might include:
- Taking regular breaks in games to stand up, stretch, and rest eyes;
- Not taking gaming devices into the bedroom at night;
- Negotiating ‘switch-off’ times for school nights and/or work nights;
- Not forgetting the difference between online and offline activities and socializing in the real world.
Video games are not going anywhere. They're part of entertainment, sports, and education. They're part of life.
For families trying to set boundaries around that screen, the goal is not to be perfect. It is to be honest about the trade-offs and to make sure, over time, that life outside the screen is more important than life inside the screen.
Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and should not replace professional medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider with any questions about your health or treatment options.
References
1. JMIR | Leisure Screen Time, Internet Gaming Disorder
2. Johns Hopkins University | Gamified interventions help fight the youth mental health crisis?
3. American Psychological Association | Gaming has social and mental health benefits
4. University of Queensland | Excessive gaming causing health issues
5. WHO | Gaming Disorder
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