Khaberni - Concerns have long been raised about the negative impact of video games on teenagers and young adults, but a recent study has renewed the positive view of them as an effective means of relieving stress in youth, through restoring childlike wonder.
In the study, university students reported that Nintendo games evoke a sense of wonder and childlike joy, and this joy appears to help reduce burnout.
Lead researcher Andreas Eisenherrich, professor at Imperial College London, said: "This study suggests that combating youth burnout may not only lie in traditional mental health but also in restoring joy."
Antidote to Stress
He added: "Games like Super Mario Bros and Yoshi could offer a potent antidote to the pessimism and stress that characterize burnout."
According to "Health Day", the researchers conducted a survey involving 336 video game players to test the results derived from the interviews.
Role of Childhood Wonder
The survey confirmed that those who felt greater childhood wonder during gameplay also reported higher overall levels of happiness, and thus, these happier players were significantly less susceptible to burnout.
The researchers, citing one of the latest games in the series, wrote: "Participants often described the bright colors and optimistic character of Super Mario Bros Wonder as evoking feelings of calm and childlike joy."
The researchers concluded that happiness fully explains - not just contributes to - the relationship between the childhood wonder of video game players and reduced burnout.
This study is among the first to identify childlike wonder as an emotional pathway through which popular video games can enhance mental health and reduce burnout.
