Popular video games like Super Mario Bros. and Yoshi can provide clear emotional benefits to young adults and reduce the risk of burnout. An international group of scientists came to this conclusion. The work was published in JMIR Serious Games magazine.
Scientists have discovered that games familiar from childhood, easy and friendly, arouse in players a feeling of “childlike admiration” – a special emotional state associated with joy, curiosity and a feeling of carelessness. As the analysis showed, this increased overall happiness and, in doing so, reduced the risk of emotional exhaustion.
The study used a mixed methods approach. First, the scientists conducted in-depth interviews with university students, followed by a survey that allowed them to quantitatively test the identified patterns. Participants described the Super Mario and Yoshi games as a “rest” from the workload, the constant pressure of deadlines, and the feeling of “always online.” Many people note that these games are associated with a simpler and calmer period of life.
The survey results confirmed these observations. Students who feel more “childlike joy” while playing tend to have higher levels of subjective well-being. Furthermore, it was happiness that fully explained the link between this feeling and a lower risk of burnout – that is, the joy of gaming triggered a kind of “chain reaction” that supported emotional well-being.
The authors note that this is one of the first studies to examine “childhood admiration” as an independent psychological mechanism linking daily play and mental health. In their view, such games create accessible and comfortable digital spaces for emotional “rebooting.”
Previously, scientists revealed the secret to the most effective recovery during the holiday season.
