Video Games Are Good for Your Mental Health

Imagine my surprise while browsing the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation (CBC) to discover that a study at the University of Rochester in New York has concluded that video games aren't just fun, they fulfill a psychological need. The report was published in the journal Motivation and Emotion.

According to the CBC article, the big draws are "a sense of achievement, freedom and even social connectedness," and that survey gamers said "they felt the best about their experience when the games they played produced positive outcomes in scenarios related to the real world." Now, correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't that kind of apply to all games, even without ties to the real world? If I have a fun time playing a game with friends or family, you can just bet I'm going back for more. Especially if I win.

Of course, the CBC article necessarily abbreviates the published research. Maybe there's more to it than has been said. For the time being, though, science has given you another good reason to keep that World of Warcraft session going just a little bit longer.