Is 1 hour of gaming OK? (2023)

Is 1 hour a day of gaming good?

You might be interested to know that Oxford University believes that 1 hour of gaming every day is better than no gaming at all when we discuss personal well-being and mental health. Between hour 1 and 3, the experience doesn't necessarily improve mental health, but it's still engaging.

The largest share of respondents (30%) play 8–12 hours of video games per week. The largest share of Gen X gamers were split evenly between 8–12 hours and 1–3 hours per week (26% each). Boomers most commonly spend just 1–3 hours gaming each week (31%).

While research suggests that behavioral issues can start to appear with children who play more than nine hours of video games a day – one hour on weekdays, two on weekends – many parents look for common signals that their child is playing too many video games, including: Irritability when not allowed to play games.

15-20 hours every week is starting to overplay, and more than 21 hours every week(3hrs every day) is the type of gameplay that will start to have a detrimental impact on wellbeing according to this Oxford study.

The American Academy of Pediatrics suggests time allotted should be under 30 to 60 minutes per day on school days and 2 hours or less on non- school days.

The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends no more than two hours per day of screen-based entertainment. Parents should create a “media plan” that dictates what hours a child can enjoy video games without affecting behavior and homework, Radesky says.

“They're just huge pressure environments,” Klarkowski said. “You have these people in gaming houses playing for 12 to 14 hours a day. They're scrimming [shorthand for scrimmaging], they're training, they're doing drills for over 15 hours a day.

At 7.6 hours per week, the average gamer plays just over one hour every day on average. US gamers spend the longest, while German gamers spent the least amount of time on games out of the nine countries in scope (US, UK, Canada, Australia, Germany, France, Sweden, Brazil, and South Korea).

In fact, a study from Oxford University has found quite the opposite, and that playing four hours of video games every day is actually good for your mental health!

Although it is not yet recognized by the American Medical Association as a diagnosable disorder, video game addiction is a very real problem for many people. According to the University of New Mexico, recent studies suggest that 6 to 15 percent of all gamers exhibit signs that could be characterized as addiction.

Is gaming too much a disorder?

According to the ICD-11, gaming disorder is characterized by a pattern of persistent or recurrent gaming behavior occurring either online or offline, manifested by: Impaired control over gaming (e.g., gaming longer, more frequently, or being unable to stop gaming).

According to Divorce Online, men playing video games is cited as at least a partial cause in 15% of divorce cases.

But consider the trade-offs of these activities, including gaming: you're neglecting your friends, family, your mental and physical health, as well as your career. If that's the case for you, then gaming is a waste of time – just like any other activity with the same trade-offs would be to this extent.

Needing to spend more and more time playing to feel good. Not being able to quit or even play less. Not wanting to do other things that you used to like. Having problems at work, school, or home because of your gaming.

Games are requiring more and more of players' time. To beat every video game on The Washington Post's “best of” list for 2021, players would need to devote approximately 200 hours. That's 25 eight-hour days of nonstop gaming.

The Dangers of Too Much Gaming

While there can be some benefits to playing video games, both on behavior and brain health, it's not a risk-free hobby. Playing games for an extended period of time on a regular basis isn't good for your physical health and can possibly hinder your social skills.

Gaming has also been associated with sleep deprivation, insomnia and circadian rhythm disorders, depression, aggression, and anxiety, though more studies are needed to establish the validity and the strength of these connections.

The researchers found that while gamers and non-gamers showed no difference in erectile and orgasmic function, gamers were less likely to report premature ejaculation than non-gamers. A lessened desire for intercourse among gamers, the researchers hypothesized, could be responsible for this finding.

The life of a pro gamer is filled with rigorous training and demanding tournament schedules. Over time, this can result in problems like burnout unless players are diligent in staying healthy. The life of a pro gamer is filled with rigorous training and demanding tournament schedules.

How hard is it to be a gamer?

Being a professional gamer seems like a dream job, but there's a lot of hard work involved before lifting an esports trophy. Most players train for six to 12 hours a day to gain experience and advance their careers. Even if you haven't joined a team or won any tournaments, you can still earn a check as a gamer.

In their mid-20s, many pro gamers decide to pivot away from playing and take on other roles in the gaming world, such as building companies or creating content. Medical professionals say there is no reason that a 30-year-old would not be able to compete with a 20-year-old in professional eSports.

Simply put, streamers who are able to play every day for hours at a time are able to do this because they get paid to do so. Streamers who stream so frequently more than likely have enough followers, subscribers, and donations flowing that streaming has become their full-time job.

Just 10–20 minutes of violent gaming can increase activity in the brain regions associated with arousal, anxiety, and emotional reaction, while simultaneously reducing activity in the frontal lobes associated with emotion regulation and executive control.