The idea of spending three hours hunched over a gaming console might sound like a dream for many avid gamers.
But a new study may encourage you to step away from the PlayStation.
Researchers from the University of Queensland have warned that while it might be fun, prolonged game play can lead to serious health issues.
From eye fatigue to ‘PlayStation neck’, experts say that just three hours of play a day can wreak havoc on your body.
‘The popularity of streaming game play for hours on end is contributing to the rise of unnecessary physical strain and pain,’ said Janni Leung, lead author of the study.
Researchers from the University of Queensland have warned that while it might be fun, prolonged game play can lead to serious health issues
The UK is one of the biggest markets in the world, with an estimated 51.21 million gamers.
However, until now, little research has focused on the negative physical symptoms associated with extended hours of video game play.
In their new study, the team set out to rectify this.
‘A better understanding of the relationship between extended hours of playing and physical symptoms is essential for identifying optimal levels of gaming and promoting healthy gaming habits to minimize and prevent the development of physical health problems,’ the team wrote in their study, published in Computers in Human Behavior.
Surveys were carried out across 955 gamers aged between 18 and 94 years old.
The participants were quizzed on how often they played video games, if they had plans to be a professional gamer, and their levels of internet gaming disorder.
They were also asked about any physical problems they had experienced as a result of gaming.
The results revealed that people who played video games for three hours or more in one session were more likely to report negative physical symptoms.
The results revealed that people who played video games for three hours or more in one session were more likely to report negative physical symptoms
This included eye strain (46.1 per cent), hand pain or stiff wrists (45.4 per cent), and back pain or neck stiffness (52.1 per cent), as well as fatigue, and headaches.
Interestingly, the researchers found that the effects of gaming for more than three hours per session were similar to that of more than six hours per session.
‘This may suggest that the threshold for negative physical outcomes may be sufficiently reached at 3h or more of continuous play,’ the team said.
Participants who scored highly on internet gaming disorder were four times more likely to report physical problems.
And while gamers are often portrayed as young men, there were no gender differences observed.
‘The relationship between playing for prolonged sessions and physical problems or pain applied to both younger and older persons, although older individuals showed higher risks of hand or wrist pain,’ the team explained.
‘There was a trend for older age groups to be more likely to report specific physical symptoms compared to those aged 18–25, which could potentially be explained by an increase in general physical symptoms with age.’
Based on the findings, the researchers are urging gamers to take regular breaks during their gaming marathons.
‘Gamers should take advantage of the “pause” button and have regular breaks to avoid the build-up of chronic health problems,’ Ms Leung concluded.
The study comes shortly after researchers created a grotesque model to show what gamers could look like in 20 years’ time.
‘Michael’ – the video game player of the future – has bloodshot eyes, a hunched back, a dented skull and blistered hands as a result of his gaming habit.
‘From sleep deprivation and dehydration, to lack of vitamin D, digital eye strain and “PlayStation thumb” — these are just some of the physical implications of spending hours online, in a gaming chair, away from sunlight and physical activity,’ said a spokesperson for OnlineCasino.ca, the Canadian site who undertook the study.
