I am happy to announce, that our latest study on the relationship between video gaming and cognitive abilities in adolescent has been published in Computers in Human Behavior. By looking at a large sample of nearly 4,000 adolescents, we found that it is crucial to distinguish between how much someone plays and how they play. Our results revealed that Internet Gaming Disorder (IGD) was associated with lower cognitive test scores. However, the actual time spent gaming showed the opposite relationship: it was linked to better visual-spatial and reasoning skills. This research highlights that when we talk about the “impact” of gaming, we must separate healthy gaming enthusiasts from dysregulated play.

• Willinger, D., Wunderl, S., Stieger S. (2026). The tug-of-war between engagement and dysregulation: A comprehensive analysis of cognition and internet gaming disorder in adolescents. Computers in Human Behavior.