Member Contributor — Cassidy Russell, LMFT

A Case for Video Games

The moral panic surrounding video games has limited many therapists' understanding and utilization of this possible tool. Even institutions like the WHO have been confusing when it comes to video games. Before the pandemic video games were bad. During the height of lock down when people were encouraged to socialize digitally, video games were good. Now with the introduction of “Gaming Disorder,” we are back to video games equal bad. 

Research around video games has traditionally heavily focused around attempting to link them to violent crime. People have used studies with interesting research methods such as having people play video games and then testing them to see if they’d give hot sauce to someone who doesn’t like hot sauce. Which, according to the researchers, is “aggressive” behavior. There are other problems with the research methods such as testing people who may not know how to play, who become frustrated during the study. In this case is the “aggression,” due to the video game itself or their frustration at their inability to play well?

When researchers expand their research topics past violence there have been some interesting findings. For example Henrik Kessler and Emily A. Holmes discovered that utilizing the game Tetris as an intervention lowered rates of intrusive memories related to trauma in patients with PTSD. I’m not saying the average person could cure their PTSD by playing Tetris, but it could be an engaging intervention with proper research and training. 
Speaking of new engaging treatment possibilities there is now a video game that has been approved by the FDA for the treatment of ADHD in children. EndeavorRx shows that we haven’t even hit the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the possibilities of video games. 

The next time a person comes in with what seems like disordered video game playing I implore you to find out the need the game is fulfilling. Does this person lack social support outside of video games? More than ever before video games are a way to connect with others. It’s possible to play with people from all over the world. Even when most people in your time zone are asleep it’s possible to play a round with people in a completely different time zone. What looks like disordered playing could just be the way the person feels most comfortable socializing. 

What is it about the game does the person enjoy? Is it the plot? The setting? The characters? A transgender person might love a game because of the customizable avatars that allow them to explore a life in which their gender is affirmed. A person with low self-worth may feel fulfilled by becoming a hero that saves a kingdom. A person who has difficulty with conflicts can choose either a cozy game with minimal conflict or a game where they actually have the power to confront the things or people that bother them. After all video games are a step above movies in that the player gets to exert force on the progression of the story. We don’t just watch characters, we embody them. We become them. Their hardships and triumphs become ours.
 
I know for myself walking is my only doctor-approved exercise due to some recent health issues. So I’ve been indulging in Pokémon Go because it helps encourage me to walk just that little bit further to take down that next gym. Having a goal makes exercise seem less tedious to me. So I’ll keep catching my invisible pocket monsters and hatching their eggs. 

The mental health field warns against black and white thinking, so why do we continue to subscribe to the notion that there can’t be a healthy way to play video games? With so much to learn about this form of media, let’s open our mind to the possibilities.

Cassidy Russell is an LMFT and is a certified Geek Therapist. She has been trained in the utilization of pop culture in sessions and utilizes that training in her adolescent-focused, private practice in Calabasas. Learn more about her at website: Cassidyrusselllmft.com.