By Patrick Bertone-Haywood
From the October/November 2024 Issue
Times are tough.
It’s an expression many of us have heard over and over. We, as a global society, find ourselves living through many stressful changes: brutal conflicts overseas, a plethora of economic hurdles and recovering from a recent pandemic that has changed how many of us operate.
But let’s not just breeze past that last part. COVID-19 upended our lives, and still does. Anxiety and anxious thoughts are nothing new. But now, many are concerned by what experts have come to refer to as “post-COVID anxiety,” which the website PsychCentral claims is “overlapping symptoms with other mental health conditions.” Some of these overlapping symptoms include panic disorder and illness anxiety, just to name a few.
While there are many ways to help combat anxiety, one of the more popular methods may surprise some: video games.
While some may think that video games would do the opposite given their seemingly isolationary nature, Dr. Glenn Platt of Miami University in Ohio, disagrees. “Isolation plays a significant role in anxiety and depressive disorders. The support of a community within a game ecosystem mitigates this.” As a professor of emerging technology and director of the interactive media studies program at his university, his research revolves around the topic, making it difficult to not believe his claims.
What’s more, this should not be such a surprising reveal. How often do we turn to movies or streaming shows in order to help combat anxiety? As a digital visual medium, surely video games serve the same purpose.
Perhaps it’s the fault of misconceptions. When many people think of video games, their minds immediately turn to generic military shooters like Call of Duty or Halo, or fast paced RPGs (role-playing games) such as Skyrim. However, there are also abstract narrative games like Disco Elysium and Life is Strange, showing that video games can juggle a variety of genres and be some of the most versatile digital media out there.
Feeling sick of city noises and loud neighbors? Put on your headphones and be transported to the countryside where your closest neighbor is a pixelated cow. Maybe you’re a student in ROTC and just need a break from physically demanding drills. Why not cozy up and play a game where you do the exact opposite, and just manage a small farm with some friends?
Video games are certainly a viable source of comfort and many Michigan State University students use them for their relaxation from their studies, or to simply escape the mundanity and reality of real life. To learn more about games some MSU students turn to for their anxiety management, check out our Wrap Up near the end of the magazine!