Individuals who game to escape boredom end up experiencing problems: Study

The researchers had 60 participants, with current level standings in the popular smartphone game Candy Crush between 77 and 3307, play at various difficulty levels - from too easy ( there was a lack of skill-challenge balance, low flow and low arousal) to balanced (more challenging and that caused greater flow, arousal and a stronger urge to continue gameplay).

A new study has found that smartphone gaming can be harmful to individuals who game to escape boredom as they may end up experiencing problems tied to excessive gameplay.

According to this new study by researchers at the University of Waterloo, bored escape players - those who have difficulty engaging with the real environment and sustaining attention - may seek flow, a deep and effortless state of concentration in an activity linked to loss of awareness of time and space.

"Playing too long may lead to addiction and means less time is available for other healthier pursuits. This can actually increase your depression," said Michael Dixon, Waterloo's cognitive neuroscience professor and study co-author.

The researchers had 60 participants, with current level standings in the popular smartphone game Candy Crush between 77 and 3307, play at various difficulty levels - from too easy ( there was a lack of skill-challenge balance, low flow and low arousal) to balanced (more challenging and that caused greater flow, arousal and a stronger urge to continue gameplay).

They found that individuals who game to escape boredom by using smartphone games become more immersed in gameplay than non-escape players. However, when escape players find these games more rewarding as a relief from boredom, they may play more frequently and for a longer period.

"We found that people who experience intense boredom frequently in everyday life reported playing smartphone games to escape or alleviate these feelings of boredom. During gameplay, players may achieve optimal arousal, engaged focus and attention and a reduction in feelings of monotony, but this heightened urge-to-play among escape players can have negative consequences and lead to excessive time gaming," said Chanel Larche, study lead author and a PhD candidate in cognitive neuroscience at Waterloo.

The study "Winning isn't everything: The impact of optimally challenging smartphone games on flow, game preference and individuals gaming to escape aversive bored states" is published in the journal Computers in Human Behavior.

(With inputs from EurekAlert)