Video game playtime and distress- and wellbeing-related associations over time: an experience sampling method study

Playing video games is an increasingly popular phenomenon especially among children and young adults. Past cross-sectional research has mainly examined the negative mental effects of gaming, whereas recent research also suggests potential positive wellbeing-related outcomes gained through gaming. Also, less emphasis has been put on exploring longitudinal within-person associations between video game playtime and distress- and wellbeing-related constructs over time. Playing more than usual revaled moderate effects on several distress- and wellbeing-related variables in specific gaming contexts. The study highlights the importance of examining time-varying contextual factors of gaming.