As stress-inducing exams and group projects appear closer than ever on the horizon, the harsh blue–light glow of monitor screens is becoming more common than the hum of the printers and scanners littered across campus. The momentary respite from daily stressors and the monotony of classroom deadlines that is provided by video games is, for some students, greatly sought after. For others, however, it is nothing more than a distracting temptation, calling their name for the sole purpose of procrastination.
As well-being concerns continue to increase and students face rising stress related to academic deadlines, an important question emerges: Are video games a healthy tool for stress relief, or do they function as a distraction that interferes with student productivity?
To tackle this topic, it is important to understand why Loyola students choose to engage with video games in the first place.
Kashan Zaidi ‘27 tries to block off a few hours every week for gaming, while Esports Club President Andrew Nardiello ‘26 creates a physical separation between his working and gaming environments, with his dorm room for gaming, and other locations around campus for studies.
“I have a tendency of excessively stressing over things that are not worth stressing about. I’ve noticed that video games have been a very good tool for calming me down and bringing me back to reality,” Zaidi said.
A study done by the University of California in 2020 found support for Zaidi’s experience. The study discovered a phenomenon that psychologists call ‘flow state,” which leads artists and, in the modern era even gamers, to feel energized and refreshed as opposed to exhausted and burnt out after hours of non-stop engagement with their craft.
For one to achieve this flow, their activity of choice, aptly dubbed a ‘flow activity,’ must consist of clear goals, a solid challenge, and immediate clear feedback on progress. Video games fit these criteria perfectly and, for that reason, are a great option for those seeking a good flow activity.
It is important to note, however, that the characteristics of a flow activity are unlike those present in passive activities, such as doomscrolling social media or binge-watching Netflix shows, which leave the brain exhausted, or more colloquially known as ‘brain-rotted.’
“A very common problem that many people in my field face is burnout. One of the best ways I have figured out to avoid burnout is to always schedule some time where I can do something fun and completely remove school from my mind temporarily,” Zaidi said.
By entering a flow occasionally through engagement with interactive, challenging games, Zaidi and many others have found they are able to stave off the trappings of the ever-rising student mental health crisis that the country is facing.
Being that there are more game genres out there than one could count on both of their hands, some games understandably help reduce stress levels better than others.
“I have found games like ‘Minecraft’ or Sid Meier’s ‘Civilization’ can help manage [stress],” Nardiello said.
Games that fit into this cozier category of sandbox and strategy genres lend themselves to a far more user-friendly and calming experience compared to the fast-paced, player-versus-player experiences found in something like to Activision’s ‘Call of Duty’ or Epic Games ‘Fortnite’.
“Minecraft and other sandbox games have always been my go-to game whenever I want to chill out after a long day. Minecraft is a game that can be played in many ways, so it’s very easy for me to choose how I want to destress depending on the kind of day I had,” Zaidi said.
‘Minecraft’, with its open-ended creative style of play, lends itself perfectly to all sorts of stress relief and even learning possibilities. This facet is even highlighted specifically by its developer, Mojang, whose commitment to educational content through its aptly titled Education Edition, is intended for teaching grade school children topics like STEM, history, and sustainability.
“If I want to relax after a long day, I can hop in a single-player world and build. If I want to blow off some steam, I can hop onto multiplayer PVP servers,” Zaidi said.
Despite their positive effects on mental health, it should be understood by students that all things, especially video games, are better indulged in moderation. The glaring issues with video game addiction arise when one struggles to pull themself out of flow state.
“I definitely enjoy coming back to my dorm after a long day of classes and being able to relax by playing a game with my friends,” Nardiello said.
Students have the opportunity to follow Nardiello and Zaidi’s example by adding ‘flow’-inducing activities into their weekly routine. By remembering not to let yourself get too bogged down by the impending deadlines of midterms and finals, and consistently engaging with flow activities in a healthy way, student stress levels will be able to improve marginally, and in turn, so will mental health.