January 25th, 2022 L.C.S.

Can gaming be a cure for loneliness?

There are actual research studies that attempt to answer this very question. Can gaming be a cure

for loneliness? There is a team that predicted that gamers who engaged more with the game in

question would have decreased feelings of loneliness and anxiety. However, what one research

study showed was that the opposite happened. In other words, increased hours of playing a game

resulted in higher feelings of loneliness and anxiety. This was then hypothesized that this result

was because people were using the game as for a coping mechanism, rather than the experience

of gaming itself, “We found that participants with higher levels of anxiety were likely to engage

in certain social aspects of ACNH (Animal Crossing: New Horizons), perhaps suggesting that

these individuals were using the social aspects of the game as a substitute for in-person

interaction during the pandemic,” Jameson said (Molly Jameson. 2021).  

There is more than one opinion however as “Game play is social, although it doesn’t always

have the reputation of being so,” said Susan E. Rivers, PhD, social psychologist and expert in

social and emotional learning. River is the current executive director and chief scientist for the

nonprofit iThrive Games Foundation. Through her testing, she had opposing opinions to the

aforementioned paragraph. She explains that through her testing, Virtual play connects and

nourishes us in many similar ways, “and has been a lifeline for many teens during social

distancing” (Susan Rivers. 2021)

Rivers said gaming offers the following benefits:

• Reduces stress

• Reduces feelings of isolation

• Reduces feelings of loneliness

• Increases feelings of competence

• Increases engagement and empathy

When you think of video games from the perspective of mental health, what comes to mind? Do

you instantly think of something positive? Do you instantly grab a stick thinking of

enlightenment? Gaming can be a cure for loneliness depending on one’s objective. If you are

using gaming to substitute for particular emotional distress, it may not cure the problem. If you

are gaming to interact with friends who are also gaming, you may be in for a treat. There are

various ways to game in order to cure loneliness. Yes, gaming can be a cure for loneliness, but it

ultimately comes down to you.

Molly Jameson, Ph.D., associate professor of Psychological Sciences; Exploring the Relationship

Between Social Gaming, Anxiety and Loneliness Jun 8, 2021

Susan E. Rivers, Ph.D., social psychologist and expert in social and emotional learning.

https://press.etc.cmu.edu/index.php/author/susan-e-rivers/ 2021