Study says video games may cause multiple physical conditions

The video game industry continues to grow as new technology gets introduced at a faster pace. In 2022, the World Economic Forum reported that it was worth roughly $235 billion and would likely reach $321 billion by 2026. 

However, a recent study shows that extended gaming sessions have led to more people experiencing various physical ailments.

READ: Google Lens gains AI features

According to the scientific journal Nature, adults who identified as gamers reported having more medical conditions like eye fatigue, wrist discomfort, and neck pain.

What are the negative impacts of video games?

Australian researchers studied the physical health repercussions of long gaming sessions for the 2022 International Gaming Study (IGS22).

They surveyed 955 individuals aged 18 to 94 who identified as gamers, and 80 percent of them played daily. Also, 27.5 percent said they played for three or more hours per session. 

The experts evaluated them using the Internet Gaming Disorder Test-10 or the IGDT-10. Consequently, they discovered that 17.9 percent of participants had a “gaming disorder.”

The WHO defines this as “a pattern of gaming behavior characterized by impaired control over gaming, increasing priority given to gaming over other activities to the extent that gaming takes precedence over other interests and daily activities.” 

Also, it involves the “continuation or escalation of gaming despite the occurrence of negative consequences.” 

The participants reported experiencing numerous physical conditions. Here are the most common ones and the percentage of participants who had them:

1. Neck and back pain: 52.1 percent
2. Eye fatigue: 46.1 percent
3. Hand and wrist pain: 45.4 percent

The Debrief reports that the adverse physical effects of gaming are not exclusive to a specific type of gamer. Instead, many people playing video games for extended periods experience them.

Those with internet gaming disorder typically were four times more likely to have physical health issues than those without. The Debrief says these results coincide with the gaming industry’s continuing rise. 

“As the number of people engaging in video gaming increases across the world, interventions for healthy gaming habits to prevent negative physical impacts are warranted,” the researchers wrote. 

“Our findings underscore the importance of raising awareness about the potential physical consequences and implementing measures to prevent negative symptoms, strain, and injuries associated with prolonged gaming.”