Games that reduce stress and the game for prescription

Scientists from the Oxford Internet Institute found that those who play video games for longer periods report being happier. “If you play Animal Crossing for four hours a day, every single day, you’re likely to say you feel significantly happier than someone who doesn’t,” said Andrew Przybylski who led the study. The new research counters 40 years of previous studies correlating long time spent playing to being unhappy. Both games in which scientists took the data from have social features and cooperation with other human-players – a probable reason for the discrepancy. Now, the data shared by game-makers may help in more profound studies and answer the questions about the mechanisms of bullying or how we form friendships.

The first prescription-only video game just entered the market. Developed by a company from Boston, U.S. EndeavorRx is a software that helps children with ADHD. During trial research, the participants who played it showed significant attention improvement in the computerized attention performance test. In June 2020, EndeavorRX became the first game-based therapeutic tool to be approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration Agency (FDA). In September FDA launched a Digital Health Center of Excellence.

Meanwhile, The New York Times published a list of games to reduce stress. Among the recommendations is managing a farm, a surreal journey through the world of puzzles, desert golf, or a Tamagotchi-like game where a player takes care of a… mountain.