Playing video games harms children's mental health.

Is it true that playing video games harms children's mental health?

Partly. The retrieved studies mostly fail to show that video games harm children's mental health: a six-country European study of children aged 6-11 found no significant mental health associations, and an Iranian adolescent study found moderate gamers fared best. One systematic review, however, reports that constant gaming is a risk factor for addiction, and a COVID-era review notes detrimental effects for at-risk youth, so the evidence is mixed and only partial.

Verdict: CONTESTED PARTIAL · 1 source for, 4 against · Last checked 3 Oct 2026

The private library was unavailable for some searches in this check. Missing library results are not evidence against the claim.

Internet and Video Games: Causes of Behavioral Disorders in Children and Teenagers - PMC Lock. (n.d.). pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. https://doi.org/10.3390/children10010086

Is time spent playing video games associated with mental health, cognitive and social skills in young children?. (2016). ehesp.hal.science. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00127-016-1179-6

A pilot study on the effect of video games on ASD children's mental health and behaviour and oral health management in Syria – 2023. (2025). doi.org. https://doi.org/10.11138/oi.v17i2.122

Correlates of video games playing among adolescents in an Islamic country. (n.d.). cir.nii.ac.jp. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-10-286

F, P., A, P., & F, M. (2022). The Effects of Playing Video Games on Stress, Anxiety, Depression, Loneliness, and Gaming Disorder During the Early Stages of the COVID-19 Pandemic: PRISMA Systematic Review.. doi.org. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2021.0252