HIIT workouts are a great way to complete a high-intensity exercise routine (Photo by Jacob Lund on Shutterstock)

In A Nutshell New research highlights that the link between exercise and mental health is more complex than widely believed.

Leisure-time activities like sports or gym workouts are consistently linked to lower depression and anxiety, but work-related or household chores may not provide the same benefit, and can sometimes correlate with worse outcomes for some groups.

Placebo effects and contextual factors, like group settings or supportive programs, play a huge role in whether exercise helps.

The authors argue that while exercise can help, it won’t fix the broader social and economic drivers of mental health issues on its own.

ATHENS, Ga. — For decades, the prescription has been simple: feeling down? Hit the gym. Stressed? Go for a run. Depression got you down? Start lifting weights. But new research from top universities is turning this conventional wisdom on its head, revealing that the relationship between exercise and mental health is far more complicated than anyone imagined.

A major study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that while exercise does benefit mental health, the effects are often smaller than expected and may be largely due to placebo responses. Even more surprising: certain types of physical activity, such household chores or work-related movement, might not provide the same mental health benefits, and in some cases may even be linked to worse outcomes for certain groups.

The research team noted that “mental health benefits of exercise may be partially a placebo response or result from contextual factors surrounding exercise programs.” This revelation comes as America grapples with a mental health crisis, with 10% of adults and 20% of teens experiencing depression annually.

“For example, if a soccer player runs down the field and kicks the game-winning ball, their mental health is fantastic,” said co-author Patrick O’Connor, of the University of Georgia, in a statement. “In contrast, if you do the exact same exercise but miss the goal and people are blaming you, you likely feel very differently. Anecdotes such as these show how context matters even when people are performing a similar exercise dose.”

Playing sports has long been linked to better mental health outcomes; but researchers say that a poor performance or causing a team to lose can have the opposite effect on athletes. (© ALAIN VERMEULEN – stock.adobe.com)

The Exercise Equity Gap Nobody Talks About

The study revealed a troubling disparity in who actually benefits from physical activity. Large-scale population studies consistently show that people who engage in recreational exercise — sports, hiking, gym workouts — report lower rates of depression and anxiety. But this advantage doesn’t extend to other forms of movement.

Latino adults in the United States have the highest overall physical activity levels when measured by fitness trackers, but most of it comes from manual labor jobs rather than leisure activities. Despite being the most physically active group, they have the lowest rates of recreational exercise among all ethnicities.

This creates what researchers describe as a potential equity problem. People who lack time, money, or safe access to recreational facilities are told to exercise more while receiving little psychological benefit from their existing physical activity.

The Placebo Effect Problem

Clinical trials present an even more complex picture. While hundreds of studies show exercise can improve mental health symptoms, they suffer from a fundamental flaw: participants always know whether they’re exercising or sitting still.

Unlike drug studies where patients receive identical-looking pills, it’s impossible to hide whether someone is running on a treadmill or doing nothing. This creates what researchers call “outcome expectations,” which is when people expect exercise to help because that’s what they’ve been told their entire lives.

In one analysis examining ADHD symptoms in children, researchers estimated that roughly half of exercise’s benefits came from the activity itself, while the other half stemmed from contextual factors like behavior management programs. When researchers compared exercise programs to equally engaging activities like arts and crafts, the mental health advantages of exercise often disappeared or shrank dramatically.

Most exercise studies also fall short of medical research standards, lasting less than six months with fewer than 100 participants, while FDA guidelines recommend following 100–300 people for up to two years.

Outcome expectations can “trick” people into believing that exercise will boost their mental health. (Credit: Unsplash+ in collaboration with Getty Images)

Context Matters More Than Cardio

Perhaps the most eye-opening discovery involves how, where, and with whom people exercise. Studies of children with ADHD found that physical activity programs only worked after researchers added psychological interventions like behavior management and reward systems — treatments that reduce ADHD symptoms on their own.

College students participating in group sports showed better mental health than solo exercisers, regardless of how much they actually moved. After-school programs with better-trained staff produced superior mental health outcomes in children, independent of the physical activities involved.

Several studies also revealed a “U-shaped” relationship between exercise and mental health: some activity beats none, but extremely high levels can actually worsen psychological outcomes. This pattern appeared across depression, anxiety, and other mental health measures.

Rethinking Exercise as Mental Health Medicine

The research team argues that treating exercise as a mental health cure-all distracts from addressing America’s real psychological wellness crisis. Social factors like economic stability, housing security, and healthcare access likely matter much more than individual exercise habits.

As the researchers put it: “Just as physical inactivity did not cause a mental health crisis of this magnitude, neither will physical activity solve our mental health crisis.”

Mental health professionals routinely prescribe exercise, insurance companies promote gym memberships as wellness benefits, and public health campaigns encourage physical activity as a psychological solution. But if household chores, work movement, and commuting don’t provide the same benefits as leisure exercise, these recommendations may miss the mark entirely.

The authors suggest recognizing that context matters enormously when it comes to exercise; not all physical activity provides equal benefits, and exercise works best as part of comprehensive mental health strategies rather than a standalone fix. Rather than abandoning exercise entirely, understanding its limitations may be key to unlocking its true potential for psychological wellness.

Disclaimer: This article summarizes findings from peer-reviewed research. It is not medical advice. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for diagnosis or treatment of mental health conditions. The study’s conclusions highlight trends in population-level data and should not be interpreted as universal for every individual.

Electric bikes (e-bikes) are quickly becoming a popular choice for commuting, health, fitness, and fun. Once dismissed by purists as “cheating,” e-bikes have proven themselves to be powerful tools not just for transportation but for improving both physical and mental health. With a growing body of research behind them, e-bikes are helping riders of all […]

Electric bikes (e-bikes) are quickly becoming a popular choice for commuting, health, fitness, and fun. Once dismissed by purists as “cheating,” e-bikes have proven themselves to be powerful tools not just for transportation but for improving both physical and mental health. With a growing body of research behind them, e-bikes are helping riders of all fitness levels stay active, reduce stress, and enjoy the outdoors more often. Here’s how:

1. They Boost Cardiovascular Health

Despite the motor assistance, e-bikes still provide significant physical activity. A study published in the Clinical Journal of Sport Medicine found that e-bike riders reached 94% of the average heart rate experienced during conventional bike riding, suggesting e-biking still meets the criteria for moderate-intensity exercise.

Regular cardiovascular activity helps reduce the risk of heart disease, high blood pressure, and stroke. E-bikes make it easier to ride longer and more often, making heart-healthy habits more attainable for a wider range of people.

2. E-bikes Encourage More Frequent and Longer Rides

One of the key benefits of e-bikes is their ability to remove barriers that keep people from riding regularly—things like hills, long distances, or fear of arriving to work sweaty. A study published in Transportation Research Interdisciplinary Perspectives found that e-bike users rode more often and for longer distances than conventional cyclists (Castro et al., 2019).

More frequent exercise contributes to weight management, improved endurance, and better overall fitness. The electric assist means riders can push themselves when they want or take it easy when needed—keeping the activity consistent and sustainable.

3. They Improve Mental Health and Reduce Stress

Riding a bike—electric or not—can significantly improve mental well-being. Physical activity in general reduces symptoms of depression and anxiety, and cycling outdoors combines exercise with the proven therapeutic benefits of spending time in nature. A systematic review in BMC Public Health found that active commuting (including by e-bike) was associated with improved psychological well-being and reduced stress (Martin et al., 2014).

E-bikes help people incorporate movement and time outdoors into daily life more easily, which can be especially valuable for those dealing with mental health challenges or high stress levels.

4. E-bikes Help Rebuild Fitness After Injury or Illness

Because riders can control the level of assistance, e-bikes are an excellent way to ease back into physical activity after an injury, illness, or extended period of inactivity. According to research in the Journal of Transport & Health, e-bikes have the potential to be particularly beneficial for older adults and those with limited mobility (Jones et al., 2016).

E-biking allows people to get moving without overexerting themselves, promoting better physical health and confidence as they regain strength and endurance.

5. They Promote Social Connection and Outdoor Time

Cycling is a great social activity, and e-bikes make it easier for people of different fitness levels to ride together. Whether it’s commuting with coworkers, running errands with family, or exploring trails with friends, e-bikes reduce the performance gap that often separates new or less active riders from more experienced cyclists.

Additionally, the pleasure of riding outside and feeling connected to your surroundings can increase mindfulness, reduce loneliness, and encourage a more active lifestyle overall (Pretty et al., 2007).

Final Thoughts on E-Bikes and Health

E-bikes aren’t just a convenient way to get around—they’re a gateway to better physical and mental health. They lower the barrier to fitness, help reduce stress, and make it easier to enjoy being active every day. Whether you’re an experienced cyclist looking for new adventures or someone trying to improve your well-being, an e-bike might be just what you need to get rolling.

Mental health is something we talk a lot about in today’s stressful world, but what does is actually mean? Is it just about not having a diagnosable mental health condition? Does being mentally healthy mean we have to be happy all the time? While both of those are related to the meaning of mental health, the truth is that it’s a lot more complicated than just being free of mental illness and having a positive state of mind.

Mental health is a term used to describe emotional, psychological, and social well-being. A person’s mental health quality is often measured by how adaptively they can cope with everyday stressors. Mental health allows people to use their abilities, be productive, make decisions, and play an active role in their communities.

Having poor mental health is often confused with having a mental illness. But mental health actually refers to a person’s state of mental well-being whether or not they have a psychiatric condition. The truth is that mental health is about a lot more than just avoiding conditions like anxiety or depression. It’s also about how you feel, cope, and adapt to life’s inevitable ups and downs.

Keep reading to learn more about what mental health means in modern-day psychology, how it can affect everything from your mood to your relationships, and what you can do to make sure that you stay mentally healthy.

A Historical Look at Mental Health in Psychology

Since psychology first emerged as a discipline separate from philosophy and biology, researchers have sought to understand the origins of mental illness. Mental health became an official field of study in 1946 during the International Health Conference. It was during this conference that the World Health Organization (WHO) was founded. The WHO Constitution stated that mental well-being is an integral part of overall health, even in the absence of psychiatric illness.

Before mental health, “mental hygiene” was a term used in the 19th and 20th centuries to refer to the impact that mental processes have on overall health.

A mental hygiene movement had formed in the United States during the early part of the 20th century. Its goal was to advocate for people who were “mentally sick,” or people who had psychiatric conditions, in a more humane way as historically, people with mental illnesses were abused, neglected, and lacked adequate care.

Though stigma surrounding mental illness still exists, more and more people have realized the importance of receiving treatment—like psychotherapy—to maintain and protect their mental well-being, regardless of whether they have a mental illness.

Additionally, there is an abundance of research linking positive mental health to improved quality of life, including better productivity, closer social connections, higher educational achievement, and healthier relationships.

Key Characteristics of Mental Health

Mental health isn’t just about how we feel (aka our emotional well-being)—it’s also about how we think, act, and cope with different situations in our daily lives. These are all shaped by a complex mix of factors, including biology and life experiences. The following are just some of the things that experts have found can have a powerful influence on mental health.

Life Satisfaction

It turns out, how much we actually feel fulfilled and satisfied with our lives is a big part of the psychology of mental health. A person’s ability to enjoy life is frequently used to indicate mental health and wellness.

Life satisfaction is often defined as the degree to which a person enjoys the most important aspects of their life.

But what makes us feel satisfied with the lives we lead? Some factors that have been found to play an essential role in life satisfaction include:

The absence of feeling ill

Good relationships

A sense of belonging

Being active in work and leisure

A sense of achievement and pride

Positive self-perceptions

A sense of autonomy

Feelings of hope

Resilience

The ability to bounce back from adversity has been referred to as resilience. People who are resilient also tend to have a positive view of their ability to cope with challenges and seek out social support when they need it. Those who are more resilient are better able to not only cope with stress but to thrive even in the face of it.

Support

Social support is important for positive mental health. Loneliness is linked with both physical and mental health issues including cardiovascular disease, depression, memory problems, drug misuse, alcohol misuse, and altered brain function.

Sometimes, life changes—such as going to college, facing social adversity, changing jobs, or getting divorced —can decrease social support. That may be why our mental health tends to take a hit when we are going through a big change.

Fortunately, research suggests that it is not necessarily how many supportive connections you have, it’s the quality of these relationships that matters the most.

Flexibility

Rigid expectations can sometimes create added stress. Emotional flexibility may be just as important as cognitive flexibility. Mentally healthy people experience a range of emotions and allow themselves to express them. However, some people find certain emotions unacceptable or overwhelming, leading them to suppress, avoid, or deny them.

Lack of psychological flexibility has been linked to some types of psychopathology, while research suggests that increased flexibility is connected to better life balance and improved resilience.

Challenges to Mental Health

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) states that an estimated one in five U.S. adults experiences a mental health problem each year. There are a number of risk factors that can increase the likelihood that a person may experience poor mental health.

Discrimination

Research has shown that experiencing discrimination can have a detrimental impact on mental health. Being treated unfairly due to personal characteristics such as age, race, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation, or gender identity is linked with increased anxiety and depression.

Exposure to Trauma

Being exposed to traumatic situations can lead to both short and long term effects on mental well-being. Trauma is linked with anxiety, depression, changes in mood (increased anger and irritability), feelings of hopelessness, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Family History of Mental Illness

Research suggests that a variety of mental illnesses run in families such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder (MDD), and schizophrenia.

Low Income

Low income is linked with increased levels of stress, anxiety, and depression. Low income may also prevent someone from accessing necessary mental health services.

Medical Illness

Illnesses, particularly those that are chronic and force a person to adjust their lifestyle, can create psychological distress (especially depression).

Poor Access to Health Services

Access to health services is linked to positive long-term health outcomes. However, when people can’t get access to the health care they need, their physical and mental health may suffer as a result.

Poor Self-Esteem

Having low self-esteem often means you don’t believe you’re worthy of being happy or having positive relationships. People with low self-esteem are at higher risk of developing substance use disorders, anxiety, and depression.

Poor Social Skills

Relationships are an important cornerstone of mental health, so if you don’t have the skills to maintain those connections, your well-being may suffer. Having poor social skills is linked with loneliness and increased stress levels, as well as worsened physical health.

Social Inequalities

Lacking access to goods and services in society based on personal characteristics like your age, gender, religion, race, disability, or another social category can increase the risk of depression.

Substance Use

Misusing alcohol, prescription drugs, and other substances can have a serious detrimental impact on mental health. It may also contribute to the onset of mental health conditions. Substance use is linked with high rates of anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

How Your Mental Health Affects Your Life

The state of our mental health has a significant impact on our quality of life.

Taking care of your mental health allows you to contribute to your community, cope with stress, have quality relationships, and maintain physical health.

Mental health can help you to work toward your full potential in all aspects of your life. Improved mental health is also linked with better physical health. Research has found that positive mental health can reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Poor mental health, on the other hand, is linked with issues like increased stress, sleep problems, smoking, and substance use. If your mental health is suffering, you might feel overwhelmed more easily, have trouble maintaining relationships, and experience low self-esteem.

How to Stay Mentally Healthy

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services suggests that some of the ways that you can promote and maintain mental health include the below.

Physical Exercise

Physical exercise can reduce stress and even improve the symptoms of anxiety disorders and depression. It reduces the body’s levels of stress hormones and elevates levels of endorphins, which promote mood regulation and feelings of well-being.

Your workout doesn’t need to be strenuous either. Try taking a 20-minute walk and you might just notice the effect it has on clearing and relaxing your mind.

Adequate Sleep

Not getting enough sleep can worsen mental health and cause mental distress, especially in people with existing mental health conditions. The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends getting at least seven hours per night.

Mental health conditions can make it extra challenging to fulfill your sleep requirements, but there are ways you can improve your sleeping habits.

Try adhering to a consistent sleep schedule (going to bed and waking up at the same times each night), limiting distractions like using your phone before bed, and making sure you get some exercise during the day. Be sure to consult a healthcare provider if your lack of sleep is causing mental distress.

Help Others

Research has found that helping behavior and other kinds of social interactions were linked with reduced stress and even longer lifespans.

Try volunteering in your community or even lending a hand to people in your everyday life. Performing small acts of kindness can make you and the recipient of your generosity feel a boost in mood and well-being.

Learn Coping Skills

Learning healthy coping mechanisms for managing stress can go a long way in improving mental health.

Some productive coping mechanisms include getting emotional support from loved ones, finding humor in your everyday life, and taking action to better your situation. It’s all about finding what works best for you.

In cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), a therapist works with patients to find the best coping skills for their unique circumstances.

Stay Connected to Others

Social interaction can reduce our stress levels, improve the symptoms of depression, and even benefit our physical health.

Research has found that social connection has positive impacts on health categories like cancer, weight management, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Having social interactions in a setting such as group therapy, for instance, might be especially helpful if you are coping with a specific mental health condition like post-traumatic stress disorder or an eating disorder.

Keep a Positive Outlook

There are many health benefits to using optimism and positive thinking in your everyday life.

One study found that participants with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) who practiced replacing thoughts of negative outcomes with thoughts of positive ones experienced less worry over time than participants who didn’t imagine positive outcomes.

Takeaways

There are many factors that influence mental health and overall well-being. Individual factors play an important part, but social, environmental, and financial circumstances can also either enhance or worsen mental health.

It is important to seek help if you are having difficulties. Talk to a doctor or mental health professional if you need help improving your mental health or addressing a psychological problem.

WORKING OUT REGULARLY has a profound effect on all aspects of your health, including your heart and mental health . Exercise may also play a role in your testosterone levels—which effects muscle growth. How it does that is a little complex.

“Testosterone levels are affected by exercise, but ongoing work is needed to really understand what is happening,” says Edward Cherullo , M.D., chair of urology at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago.

Testosterone , the main male sex hormone that’s produced by the testicles, is anabolic and does help you build muscle. (That’s one of its functions, anyway; it has many others.) But other hormones also contribute to muscle building and endurance.

Here’s a closer look at how exercise affects your T levels.

Does working out affect testosterone levels?

EXERCISE DOES IMPACT testosterone levels, but research suggests that the actual effect depends on several factors.

“Certain types of exercise done at certain volumes and intensity can lead to an elevation in testosterone, but you can also have certain types of exercise, certain volumes of intensity that can reduce testosterone,” says Anthony Hackney , Ph.D., D.Sc., a professor of exercise physiology and nutrition at the University of North Carolina, who’s studied exercise and testosterone for decades. “So, there isn’t a universal, ‘Oh, I’m exercising, and I’m always going to see this testosterone response.’”

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Many studies looking at different types of exercises—including cardio , cycling, running, swimming, and weightlifting—and their effects on T levels have found different outcomes, explains Ahmed El-Zawahry, M.D. , a urologist at the University of Toledo Medical Center .

“If we are going to summarize the results of these studies in one easy statement, exercises do not significantly change testosterone level,” he says. Still, some exercises, especially weightlifting, can temporarily boost testosterone. But, El-Zawahry says the surge doesn’t last long.

Body composition and fitness level factor into how exercise affects your testosterone, too. A small 2016 study found that obese and overweight men saw a boost in their T levels when they increased their physical activity, more so than when they solely restricted calories.

A 2018 study suggested that some male elite athletes had low testosterone concentrations, but the low T may be linked to higher cortisol levels in the blood from working out. The athletes studied are typically in good physical condition, with a lean body and no symptoms of low testosterone (which doctors say is often more important than your actual levels).

Exercise affects testosterone in other ways, too, says Brian McNeil , M.D., chief of urology at SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University. When you work out, you’ll improve your overall health and reduce your body fat, which he says can improve testosterone. Obesity is linked to low testosterone and other health problems.

“You should exercise to keep your endurance, lean muscle, and low body fat, which will, in turn, keep you healthy,” El-Zawahry says. This will reduce the risks of metabolic syndrome and reduce health issues associated with it—and those things keep testosterone at a healthy level, he adds.

Which type of exercise impacts testosterone most?

RESEARCH SUGGESTS THAT strength exercises and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) can increase testosterone levels . Endurance-based exercises, like cardio, can potentially reduce testosterone .

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Even within resistance training, the “greater intensity and greater volume of work” are more likely to elevate testosterone, Hackney says. For instance, if you’re lifting heavy weights with lots of sets over a 45-minute time period, you’ll see a bigger impact.

“If they’re a casual resistance trainer, they’re probably not going to see any substantial mark in testosterone changes,” he adds.

A 2016 study showed that starting resistance training with large muscle groups, like your chest and glutes, and progressing to small muscle groups, such as triceps and shoulders, produced the largest testosterone response. But no exercise is going to drive your T levels through the roof, and it won’t be a prolonged increase.

Testosterone levels usually increase transiently after weights and intense physical activity about 15 minutes to an hour after the workout, Cherullo said.

Mixing endurance and resistance training likely leads to a “zero-sum game,” when it comes to its effect on testosterone, Hackney says.

Don’t worry so much about just focusing on resistance training because you think it raises your T. El-Zawahry says any exercise benefits your general health and helps you maintain a healthy body weight and T level.

While there’s research on the subject, McNeil says yoga and pilates, which incorporate aspects of strength training, likely have a positive impact on testosterone.

How long is testosterone levels boosted after a workout?

THE ELEVATED TESTOSTERONE that you see from working out is usually temporary—maybe an hour or so, Hackney says. Then, your T levels will return to normal.

“However, you may feel a good boost of energy with exercise because of a surge in cortisol level rather than testosterone,” El-Zawahry says.

Remember, too, that your testosterone levels naturally fluctuate during the day. By exercising, you’ll likely maintain a healthy weight and improve your cardiovascular functioning, which has positive effects on your testosterone.

However, working out alone won’t cause a long-term increase in testosterone levels, El-Zawahry says.

Will exercising affect your testosterone test?

YOUR TESTOSTERONE LEVELS tend to be the highest in the morning and then gradually drop throughout the day, Cherullo said. That’s why doctors typically test your T in the morning.

If you typically run in the morning or take 5 a.m. HIIT classes, it likely won’t affect your test results, McNeil says. So don’t skip your workout—it’s good for your T levels and your overall health.

Related Story How Your Relationship Affects Testosterone Levels

Video games can offer a considerable amount of adventure and entertainment.

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Traditional games, like Tetris, or the more modern Candy Crush Saga, are puzzling brain-busters.

Others, like Nintendo’s Breath of the Wild or Ubisoft’s Assassin’s Creed series, can provide an escape from the real world.

Even new technologies have given rise to exergaming, or video games that marry technology with physical activity, like Ring Fit Adventure.

But many parents and caregivers are left wondering: Are video games good for my child and their developing brain?

Pediatric behavioral health specialist Michael Manos, PhD, and child psychiatrist Joseph Austerman, DO, explain how video games might affect your child’s brain in good and bad ways, and when video game addiction becomes a real problem.

Is gaming good for your brain?

Research into how video games affect the brain is a bit of a mixed bag. For starters, the benefits you receive depend on what kind of video game is being played. A 2020 overview of commercial video game studies suggests different types of video games improve different cognitive functions.

Hitting a pixelated dot back and forth allows for a different set of skills than when you’re playing a first-person shooter like Call of Duty, for example. Those games are also very different from building simulators like City Skylines or Civilization VII. Those require strategy and critical thinking. And when it comes to games like Wordle, our brains face a different set of challenges related to language and memory.

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“When looking at video games in general, we tend to find that visuospatial effects, like hand-eye coordination, and directed attention tend to get a little better when we’re playing video games,” shares Dr. Austerman.

But what’s unclear is how these benefits translate to the real world outside of gaming.

“Studies show while you’re playing games, these things improve,” he adds. “But those skills may not translate to real-world activities.”

That’s important to keep in mind when looking at these possible benefits:

They offer a new way to socialize and make friends

“Video games can actually improve social connectedness,” says Dr. Austerman.

If your child has friends from school who play video games online, it allows them a secondary safe space to foster those relationships. And if your child has a hard time making friends, online relationships with other kids their age may also be beneficial.

“What kids are able to do now is connect to people around the world that share their interest and share their belief system,” he continues. “When they’re not getting those in-person relationships, they may be getting that support in online relationships through multiplayer gaming.”

Of course, online gaming (like social media) comes with pros and cons. While they’re exposed to new relationships, your child may also be exposed to cyberbullying, people they don’t know with ulterior motives and sophisticated marketing tools your child is ill-equipped to handle.

“There are safe ways to do it,” notes Dr. Austerman. “You can limit your kids to only being able to connect with friends or people they know in their life and you can monitor their activity.”

Video games increase brain matter

“Like stimulants, video gaming can increase gray matter in the brain,” says Dr. Manos. “Grey matter provides interconnectivity and allows parts of your brain to communicate with other parts of your brain and advance your self-perception.”

Your brain’s grey matter — the outer-most layer of your brain — is responsible for controlling your movement, retaining your memories and regulating your emotions. Essentially, the more you learn, the more your brain can grow and adapt.

Exploration rewards creativity and feelings of accomplishment

Video games are interactive. Take a role-playing game (RPG), like Baldur’s Gate 3 or Mass Effect, for example: There’s a long list of main quest objectives you have to complete in order to beat the game. But you also have a longer list of side objectives that are optional to flesh out the game’s story and reward system.

How you choose to proceed in these games is entirely up to you. With player freedom comes increased feelings of accomplishment for every task you complete and a greater sense of imagination.

“A constant barrage of reinforcement occurs often and in succession with video games,” explains Dr. Manos. “The danger of a particular situation and the resolution of a situation gives you a sense of accomplishment, which doesn’t happen very much in real life. This makes video games incredibly stimulating and difficult to withdraw from to do less engaging tasks like chores in the home.”

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You’re relying on visuomotor abilities, like hand-eye coordination

You often have to pay close attention to visual and auditory cues to accomplish certain tasks in a video game. Action-adventure games like Tomb Raider or Resident Evil have quick-time events (or QTEs). With QTEs, you have to push a button that matches a symbol on the screen within a very limited amount of time in order for something to happen.

“When you’re watching a video game, you’ve got to pay attention to every little thing that comes into your visual field and react to it,” notes Dr. Manos. “Being able to visually contrast — being able to tell the difference between one thing and another — is also a skill that can be developed by playing video games. But it may not be generalizable to real-life activities, like following instructions given by an adult.”

Switching between tasks becomes easier

Video games make you set-shift constantly.

Set-shifting is the ability to move back and forth between different tasks in quick succession. The ability to direct our attention from one thing to the next — like cooking dinner on the stove while listening to a podcast or pausing a video game to start a load of laundry — is an important skill to have.

“People switch tasks all the time,” shares Dr. Manos. “That executive function tends to get a little better with automatic attention tasks when playing a video game. But it doesn’t facilitate switching from automatic attention to directed attention.”

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Meaning, outside of a video game, set switching requires intentional effort on your part and embracing certain behavioral changes that allow for that to happen.

Video games offer new ways of learning

Often, video games require you to remember key information in order to complete tasks. Maybe you have to remember a specific code in order to open a combination for a locked door.

“Those can actually be beneficial to memory,” notes Dr. Austerman. “What we don’t know is if this is long-term or within a very defined realm.”

Still, video games can be used to enhance strategies in education. Take the museum mode in Assassin’s Creed, for example. This mode allows you to walk through and explore 3D recreations of ancient locations like the Parthenon in Greece.

“The key is actually making it historically accurate,” he continues. “But as we integrate and utilize more of our senses and experience more of a richer context, video games allow us to retain that information and further develop our understanding of key concepts.”

How much gaming is too much?

A 2022 Oxford study of nearly 40,000 gamers found that gaming doesn’t appear to have damaging effects on a person’s mental health — unless they have a hard time walking away from gaming.

It’s the latest in a large body of research that’s been slowly building over the last decade suggesting internet and video game addictions are a real problem, despite video game addiction only affecting 3.05% of the world’s population.

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Young people in particular are faced with other negative consequences when they develop video game addiction. One study found elementary school students experience poor academic performance and worse grades when they’re dependent on video games for entertainment.

“It becomes a problem if you see consequences to the kids being on the screen and getting off the screen,” explains Dr. Austerman. “If you say it’s time to put the screen away or stop a video game and the child has an emotional outburst, that’s a big red flag. That means they can’t handle the amount of screen time they’re getting.”

Other red flags that video games may be causing consequences for your child include:

“All of these things are red flags that signal you need to cut back on the amount of screen time they have because they’ve become dependent on it and it’s gotten in the way of normal emotional development,” he states.

Guidelines for different ages

It’s important to set some hard limits with screen time. The younger your child, the less they should interact with video games and other screen-based media.

“Generally, the younger your kids are, the more strict you should be with their exposure to on-screen media including video games, social media and other videos,” advises Dr. Austerman. “You want to maximize in-person communication and connectedness as much as possible for as long as possible.”

He suggests following the American Academy of Pediatrics recommendations:

Kids under 2 shouldn’t have any screen time.

Kids 3 to 5 can have an hour or less of screen time per weekday and three hours on weekends.

Kids 6 and older can have two or more hours of screen time per day, as long as consequences don’t arise.

“The more time you spend on screen, the less time you’re face-to-face with somebody in person,” he stresses. “There may be long-lasting detrimental emotional connection effects of that long term, especially the younger you’re exposed to video games.”

Rating guidelines

Beyond screen time, parents may want to be conscious of the content their child consumes.

Historically, video games have had a bad rap because there’s been a long-time misconception that violent action games cause children to become more violent.

“There’s no evidence showing that video games increase real-world violence,” clarifies Dr. Austerman. “But there may be kids who are prone to violence that may seek out violent video games.”

The Entertainment Software Rating Board (ESRB) makes informed decisions on who should access video games based on their age group. For example, games rated E (for everyone) may contain mild violence but are understood to be suited for all ages. Games rated M are geared for people 17 and up because of things like intense violence, gore and sexual content.

As a parent, you probably know your child best and what they can or can’t handle. But following these guidelines is perhaps most important for younger children.

“What we do see is that anytime young kids are exposed to violence, they can begin to have anxiety symptoms. They can begin to have mood symptoms. And they tend to be less reactive to real-world violent situations,” shares Dr. Austerman. “So, they tend to have less empathy for others.”

How parents can make sure video games provide benefits

According to a 2023 summary of current data and previously published research, more than 90% of American children play video games and 75% of American households own a video game console.

“Video games, whether they’re good or bad, aren’t going anywhere,” says Dr. Austerman. “The time we spend in front of screens, immersed in these worlds, is only going to become a larger part of our lives.”

That means you should set ground rules around video games the same way you set ground rules for other avenues of playtime.

“You want your kids to have fun at the playground, but you also want to monitor them and know what they’re doing. You want to have a line of sight on them. When they’re online or playing video games it’s no different,” he continues.

“You want to have a virtual line of sight on them. You want to know who they’re connecting with, how they’re connecting with them and what they’re doing.”

One way to strengthen your relationship with your children around video games is to play alongside them.

“Just like you would have family game night in the past with everybody gathering around the table to play a board game, there are similar benefits to everybody playing the same game together,” he shares. “Whenever you marry video games with in-person interactions, there’s a benefit.”

At the end of the day, encouraging your child to play around with the technology that’s given to them couldn’t hurt as long as you’re vigilant and communicative about the possible dangers they’re facing whenever they play a game or get online.

“Video games themselves are not good or bad. This is the world we’re living in and we’ll continue to progress down this path,” says Dr. Austerman. “A parent’s job should be to moderate their child’s exposure, watch out for dangers and utilize this time to connect with their kids. It’s a good time to meet them where they’re at.”