Children who Play Video Games for Less than One hour are More Happy and Statisified: Study

Gaming and spending too many hours in front of the computer and television is linked to childhood obesity, poor concentration, stress, anger and mood fluctuations. British experts from the Oxford Internet Institute found children who played games like Nintendo Wii or Sony Playstation for less than an hour everyday were mentally well adjusted  than those who played for three of more hours.

The researchers observed gaming frequency of 5,000 children aged between 10 and 15 and interviewed them about their mental status, level of happiness and psychosocial adjustment. The survey revealed children who indulged in virtual gaming for less than 60 minutes every day were happier and also reported being more receptive and empathized with others compared to those who never played video games.

Children who spent more than three hours playing video games mostly exhibited bad behavior, were less happier and also had poor social adjustment. 

However, the study noted no major differences among subjects who played video games in moderation. The authors believe even limited amount of exposure to games can lead to both positive and negative behaviors like having more fun and low attention span.

 These findings urge parents and care-givers to monitor number of hours spent in front of the computer to avert the damages and risk of decline in mental and emotional well being in children.

 "The overall influence of daily video game play appears quite small on the population level," said study author Andrew Przybylski, a psychologist and research fellow at the Oxford Internet Institute in Oxford, England, reports the Live Science.

"These findings suggest that the quantity of video game play may not be the best place to focus our efforts in terms of understanding and shaping how young people interact with games," he adds.

 More information is available online in the journal pediatrics.