The Effect of Video Games on Adolescents’ Mental Health

The high prevalence of mental health problems among adolescents creates a need for the healthcare sector to implement measures that address the issue. According to research conducted by Li et al. (2022), mental health issues affect more than 20% of adolescents globally. The study further explains that mental health problems experienced during adolescence affect an individual’s lifetime outcomes, such as academic achievement and success in a career. The failure to address these mental health problems in adolescence makes life difficult for individuals in adulthood as they become dependent on drugs and other nonpharmacological interventions for mental illness. One of the factors for the high incidence of mental health illnesses in adolescence is exposure to video games. The fact that most adolescents can access game consoles and the internet easily has increased exposure to video games. Research reveals that more than 45 % of adolescents have access to an internet connection on their devices and are almost always online (Nagata et al., 2022). The addictive aspect of video games further increases the use. Excessive use of video games encourages individuals to stay alone, limiting their face-to-face social interaction. Video games also reduce the user’s motivation to engage in physical activities, and this has been linked to poor mental health state. The content of video games also impacts adolescents’ mental health. Long exposure to violent video games can lead to mental health illnesses such as depression. Understanding the effects of this form of entertainment on mental health can help develop solutions that will help eliminate excessive use. Excessive use of video games negatively affects adolescents’ mental health since they encourage social isolation and reduced physical exercise, and the violent content triggers depression among the users.

The social isolation in adolescents due to exposure to video games increases the risk of developing mental health illnesses. Since human beings are social, the normal development of adolescents should involve a lot of physical interactions with their peers. However, video games have created a culture of being alone together, where individuals interact with their fellow players online. Such interactions are not fulfilling, going by the high incidents of mental health issues among adolescent gamers. Research conducted by Milani et al. (2020) reveals that social isolation creates social phobia, which makes individuals avoid any situations that involve interacting with others. The researchers also link social isolation to poor social skills, which makes it difficult for individuals to interact effectively with others. The withdrawal that such individuals experience makes them feel lonely, lowering their mental health status (Hards et al., 2022). Lonely adolescents may engage in risky tendencies such as drug abuse, which negatively affects their mental health state. For adolescents with pre-existing mental health problems, the loneliness that comes with social isolation makes the situation worse. The individuals are likely to experience more incidents of anxiety and depression.

Adolescents who are exposed to video games for long hours do not create time for physical activities such as sports. The sedentary lifestyle that gaming encourages makes them comfortable, but it drains their mental and physical health. Engaging in physical activities such as walking and jogging improves one’s mood and lowers their risk of developing mental health problems. Fossati et al. (2021) argue that there is a positive correlation between physical fitness and mental health. The researchers further argue that individuals who actively participate in sports record low levels of mental health issues such as stress, anxiety, and depression. Adolescents who play video games for long hours are also likely to become overweight, partly due to indulgence in unhealthy diets and also due to low physical activity. Obesity is among the leading factors for depression and mood disorders.

Video games are entertaining, and they can enhance people’s cognitive skills. However, video games that contain violent content are more popular than the rest, and they have adverse effects on the gamers’ mental health. In most cases, violent video games involve attacking the opponent character, and this could lead to frustration when one loses. The aggression and violence in these games increase the level of anxiety among gamers, thus affecting their mental health status. The competitive and aggressive nature of these violent games has been linked to an increase in cortisol levels. The hormone helps in the regulation of stress; if it is secreted in excess, an individual can hardly manage their stress. Fluctuations in the level of cortisol in the body trigger the development of psychiatric disorders (Dziurkowska & Wesolowski, 2021). Some of these disorders include bipolar, major depression, and psychosis. The incidence of fluctuations in cortisol levels is lower in nonviolent games than in violent games.

Based on the current studies, the issue of video game use among adolescents demands urgent attention. Mental health issues affecting people in their adolescent years can lower their overall satisfaction in life. Some of the negative effects associated with mental health issues in adolescents include low academic achievement. Education is one of the predictors of an individual’s success in life as it significantly determines factors such as the type of career they pursue and their access to financial resources. Authorities such as school administrators, teachers, and parents have a major role to play in encouraging adolescents to engage in other activities and reduce their exposure to video games. The ones who are already addicted to gaming should access the help that will enable them to end their dependence on the games. There is also a need for public awareness of the impacts of the games on mental wellness to discourage the culture of long exposure to video games.