Nearly half of UK gamers would rather keep playing than sleep, research shows
A new survey reveals that good mental health is one of the biggest issues affecting gamers throughout the UK, with nearly two-thirds (63%) believing that it is the key to successful gaming.
However, the study commissioned by Kaspersky also revealed that nearly half (46%) would rather keep playing than take breaks to sleep or eat healthier food, suggesting a worrying degree of complacency in the gaming world.
According to a recent study by the University of Winchester devoted to the predictors of mental ill health in eSport amongst competitors, mental health is as important for e-athletes as it is to other professional sports, such as football. Results also show that professional gamers can face sleep issues, burnout, and social phobia anxiety.
Kaspersky data shows that 35% of UK respondents think mental well-being is indeed an important factor for gamers, both before and during gameplay. To put this into perspective, mental health is more important to gamers than having the right peripherals (31%), practising their gaming skills or even having good internet bandwidth (29%).
Explains David Alonso, Head of esports for Giants Gaming, a professional esports organization:
“Having good rest, doing physical activity and keeping a healthy diet is essential for a good performance. And if their mental health is appropriate, their performance also gets a boost. It’s a win-win for everyone. Some players have bad habits, get too little sleep and play a lot at night, but I think most of them know elite competition requires a more complete preparation. Just playing is not enough.”
However, despite only 29% of respondents strongly agreeing that laptop performance is key to success, what British gamers think often doesn’t translate into action.
63% of gamers believe the more hours you play, the better you will be, no matter what else you do. Rather worryingly, nearly half (46%) would rather keep playing than take breaks to sleep, with nearly one-in-5 (18%) feeling rather strongly about it. This is significantly higher than the global average.
“eSports have become a real discipline for many gamers and sometimes even a job. With gaming competitions and online matches demanding such a high level of concentration and the best possible performance, it is worrying to see such a large number of British gamers not practising what they think they should,” comments David Emm, Principal security researcher, Global Research & Analysis team, Kaspersky.
“A healthy lifestyle, a good sleeping regime and adequate self-care, can not only lead to better performance, but also a much more alert state, where players won’t easily fall victim to phishing attempts or other social-engineering driven cyberthreats which would otherwise go unnoticed”.
The full report is available via this link.
