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Friday, 16 January 2026

The digital line: New study pinpoints when gaming stops being fun and starts being harmful

 A study of young adults identifies 10 hours of video gaming per week as a significant health threshold, beyond which negative physical effects become pronounced.

Those exceeding this limit showed poorer diet quality, higher body weight (with a median BMI in the overweight range) and worse sleep compared to moderate gamers (under 10 hours).

Researchers propose the core issue is displacement: excessive gaming crowds out time for healthy meal preparation, physical activity and adequate rest, while also encouraging mindless snacking.

The findings highlight a particular concern for university students, as unhealthy habits formed during this independent life stage can solidify into long-term lifestyle patterns.

The study advocates for conscious moderation, not prohibition, suggesting practical steps like regular breaks, avoiding late-night play and healthier snacks to preserve enjoyment without sacrificing health.

In an era where screen time is a default pastime for millions, a new scientific study delivers a stark warning: The line between moderate recreation and harmful excess may be crossed at just 10 hours of video games per week. Research led by Australia's Curtin University, published in the academic journal Nutrition, finds that young adults who game beyond that threshold show significantly worse diets, poorer sleep and higher body weight than their peers. The study, surveying 317 university students with a median age of 20, provides concrete data to a growing societal concern about the physical cost of our digital immersion.

While playing a video game occasionally can be a harmless form of relaxation, spending excessive hours daily on the computer—as millions of children do—can destroy health. This overindulgence not only risks physical strain but also behavioral problems that diminish a child's ability to learn and function in family and society, a situation for which specialists say parents bear significant responsibility....<<<Read More>>>...