A balanced diet of video games is associated with greater stoicism and less isolation

A recent study published in JMIR Serious Games provides evidence that playing specific types of video games tends to be associated with lower levels of loneliness in adults. The findings suggest that balancing challenging open-world games with relaxing and accessible games might foster emotional resilience, offering a potential tool to help address modern feelings of isolation.

In recent years, chronic loneliness has been recognized as a major public health crisis. Feelings of severe isolation are associated with serious mental and physical health issues, including increased stress hormones, weakened immune systems, and a higher risk of heart disease. Modern society is highly connected through technology, yet this digital connectivity often promotes performative interactions that can leave people feeling inadequate.

As traditional community participation declines, modern individualized lifestyles tend to crowd out the time and energy required to build meaningful relationships. To combat this growing sense of existential isolation, some experts look toward philosophy. Specifically, stoicism offers a unique approach to managing feelings of disconnection.

Stoicism is an ancient school of thought that teaches people to focus their energy only on things they can control, such as their own actions and judgments. It encourages individuals to accept external events calmly and to find their self-worth internally rather than seeking approval from outside sources. By adopting a stoic mindset, individuals might reframe the experience of being alone.

Instead of feeling lonely, stoic individuals might view solitude as a purposeful time for reflection and cultivating inner peace. Prior research on video games and loneliness has produced mixed results. Sometimes, gaming is associated with problematic behaviors and increased isolation. Other times, socially oriented multiplayer games are viewed as a way to connect people.

The authors of this new paper wanted to explore the internal cognitive pathways that single-player games might activate. Andreas Eisingerich, a researcher in the Department of Analytics, Marketing and Operations at Imperial College London, explained the inspiration behind the research. “A few years ago students shared with us some of their thoughts regarding video games and what influence they may have on their own lives,” Eisingerich said. “This is what kick-started the project.”

The researchers proposed that specific game environments could serve as active spaces for practicing stoic principles. Open-world games drop players into massive, indifferent digital environments where survival requires adaptability and self-reliance. For example, in games like The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, the player starts with nothing and must forage for food, scavenge for weapons, and slowly overcome obstacles using their own wits.

This virtual struggle mirrors the stoic value of relying on one’s own internal resources and accepting difficult circumstances. At the same time, the authors looked at accessible, low-stakes games like Yoshi’s Crafted World. These games focus on mindfulness and simple joys. They feature a slower pace and encourage players to appreciate their immediate surroundings, which directly counteracts anxiety and rumination.

The researchers suggested that combining these two types of gaming experiences could create a balanced digital diet. This combination provides both rigorous emotional endurance and gentle psychological restoration. To investigate these ideas, researchers recruited participants near a video game store located in a busy shopping mall.

Trained research assistants approached individuals and asked them to participate in a short survey about their daily activities. The final sample included 2,252 adults aged 21 and older. This group was made up of 966 women, 1,281 men, and five individuals who preferred not to disclose their sex. Participants completed a survey on a tablet that took about seven minutes.

The questionnaire measured perceived loneliness by asking how often participants felt a sense of emptiness or felt they lacked companionship. The survey also measured stoic attitudes by asking if participants consciously considered whether things were within their control before deciding how to act. In addition, participants indicated whether they currently or recently played open-world games from the Zelda series or accessible games from the Yoshi series.

The data reveals that people who played open-world games reported higher levels of stoicism. On a scale of one to seven, open-world players scored an average of 4.87 for stoicism, while nonplayers scored an average of 3.23. Players of fun and accessible games also reported higher stoicism, scoring an average of 4.49 compared to 3.61 for nonplayers.

The statistical analysis showed an interaction effect between the two types of games. This indicates that engaging with both open-world games and accessible games together is associated with an even greater increase in stoic attitudes. The authors propose that these distinct gaming experiences work together synergistically to build emotional resilience.

When examining feelings of isolation, the researchers found that open-world gamers reported lower loneliness scores, averaging 3.02 out of 7. In comparison, nonplayers reported an average loneliness score of 4.28. Players of accessible games similarly reported a loneliness score of 3.09, which was significantly lower than the 4.21 average for those who did not play such games.

Using statistical modeling, the authors identified stoicism as a psychological bridge between gaming and reduced loneliness. The models showed that open-world gameplay was positively linked to stoicism. This increased sense of stoicism was then negatively linked to perceived loneliness, suggesting that the games might help players build the internal fortitude needed to feel comfortable in their own company.

The fact that single-player games yielded these benefits stood out to the research team. “We were surprised that video games people play themselves may actually help reduce perceived loneliness,” Eisingerich told PsyPost. The findings suggest that these digital environments provide more than just a distraction from real-world problems.

“There may be more to video games than cognitive escapism,” Eisingerich said. “We found that well-designed open-world games and fun, accessible games can have the potential to enhance stoicism and reduce perceived loneliness.”

While the findings offer an optimistic view of single-player gaming, the study has several limitations. The researchers used a cross-sectional design, meaning the data was collected at a single point in time. Because of this snapshot approach, the study cannot prove cause and effect. It is possible that people who are already more stoic and less lonely are simply more drawn to these specific types of video games.

“Because of the cross-sectional nature of the data one needs to be very cautious regarding causality claims,” Eisingerich noted. “In order to establish cause and effect we invite future research to look at the long-term effects of video gaming too.”

The study also did not measure several potential confounding variables. A confounding variable is an outside influence that changes the effect of a dependent and independent variable. Factors such as a participant’s income, relationship status, living arrangements, or baseline level of social contact were not recorded. The researchers also did not capture the participants’ general gaming habits, meaning the nonplayer group might have consisted of people who play other genres of video games.

Future research could build on these findings by conducting longitudinal studies. A longitudinal study tracks the same individuals over a long period of time to see how variables change and interact. Scientists could also use randomized controlled trials to prescribe specific games to participants and measure the resulting changes in their mental well-being over time.

The researchers are also interested in how gaming might address other societal issues beyond loneliness. “We live in a world in which people often seem to be angry and not able to work together anymore to find solutions for difficult problems,” Eisingerich said. “Stoicism may be part of the answer and in addition it may be fascinating to examine the potential effects of video games on reducing anger in people for a more peaceful coexistence.”

The authors hope this research encourages a shift in how society views single-player video games. Rather than seeing them simply as passive screen time, these interactive environments might offer accessible and affordable ways to practice emotional regulation. By thoughtfully curating the media they consume, adults might find new ways to manage the daily stresses of modern life.

The study, “The Effects of Open-World and Fun, Accessible Games on Perceived Loneliness and Stoicism in Adults: Cross-Sectional Survey Study,” was authored by Congcong Hou, Winze Tam, Andini Ayu Rahmadianty, Pradana Rajendra, and Andreas Benedikt Eisingerich.