By Kayla DeKraker
A new study revealed the exact amount of time one can play video games until until they become harmful.
The study, which came out of Curtin University in Perth, Australia, observed 317 students and their gaming habits. It discovered that while small amounts of gaming appear not to cause damage, things start to go downhill when one plays more than 10 hours a week.
“What stood out was students gaming up to 10 hours a week all looked very similar in terms of diet, sleep and body weight,” Mario Siervo, a population health researcher professor, explained. “The real differences emerged in those gaming more than 10 hours a week, who showed clear divergence from the rest of the sample.”
One major concern was diet, as the study showed that those who spend too much time gaming develop poor eating habits.
“Each additional hour of gaming per week was linked to a decline in diet quality, even after accounting for stress, physical activity and other lifestyle factors,” Siervo revealed.
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He added, “This study doesn’t prove gaming causes these issues, but it shows a clear pattern that excessive gaming may be linked to an increase in health risk factors.”
While these these are important issues to keep in mind, Siervo reassured parents that moderation is key.
“Our data suggests low and moderate gaming is generally fine, but excessive gaming may crowd out healthy habits such as eating a balanced diet, sleeping properly and staying active,” he said. “Because university habits often follow people into adulthood, healthier routines such as taking breaks from gaming, avoiding playing games late at night and choosing healthier snacks may help improve their overall wellbeing.”
While excessive video game use isn’t necessarily harmful, parents should be aware of what can make them addictive.
“A recurringly discussed aspect of video games was their overstimulating nature, with many participants expressing that gaming easily makes other activities seem dull in comparison,” a June 2025 study found.
The study noted, “The need for intense stimulation connected to a pattern of a vicious circle that emerged in many stories, where the more time one spends gaming and the more the rest of the life is abandoned, the more gaming is needed to compensate for the loss.”
They can also be isolating.
“If a teenager’s primary communication with their peers is through a gaming headset or chat, it’s problematic and a difficult habit to break,” Bradley Zicherman, MD, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Stanford Medicine, said. “It’s always going to be more convenient to put on a headset compared to making plans to see friends in person, but it’s not healthy; it’s a form of isolation.”
So, while you don’t need to totally cut video games out of your child’s life, parents should encourage their kids to build in-person relationships and get involved with other healthy activities.
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