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Lockdown: Has playing video games helped you stay in touch with your friends?
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Gamers, listen up - new research has suggested that playing video games with your mates is great for your mental health!
That's because many young people are choosing to play and connect with their friends online rather than opt for single-player games or not at all.
Gaming accessories company, HyperX, has also found more than half of 13-18 year olds prefer to catch up with friends via games than via social media or video calling apps.
The study also asked parents for their views and 77% of those asked said they believed gaming in lockdown had helped their child stay in touch with friends and around half agreed it had helped with their child's mental health.
However, more than two thirds of the parents asked, said that they considered gaming to be a waste of time!
What do you think?
Image source, Getty Images
Dr Dieter Declercq, who is a lecturer in film and media studies at the University of Kent, said:
"Gaming is an important way for adolescents (children and young adults) to socialise with their friends - and the importance of gaming's social function has become even more significant during lockdown.
"Three out of five children prefer to play games with or against other people online with far fewer opting to play on their own.
Previous studies have also revealed that gaming is thought to improve children's creativity, literacy and reading!