What happens if, instead of pressuring someone to stop gaming, you help them notice and observe the moment the urge to play arises? A research team led by Professor Sungmin Yoon of Sungkyunkwan University’s Department of Social Welfare explored that question with Professor Willem Kuyken of the University of Oxford’s Oxford Mindfulness Centre. The pilot study involved 46 college students at high risk for internet gaming disorder. Sungkyunkwan University announced the results on July 10, and the paper had appeared earlier, in May, in the international journal Mindfulness.
Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, used to prevent depression relapse, adapted for gaming urges
The research team used mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). They adapted the therapy, which has been used to prevent depression relapse, to the characteristics of gaming disorder and called the program MBCT-G. Professor Kuyken, an MBCT researcher who leads the Oxford Mindfulness Centre, participated in the study as a co-author.
The program has two main components: mindfulness meditation, which helps participants step back and observe their feelings and thoughts when the urge to game becomes intense; and cognitive therapy, which helps them shift their thinking so they can respond differently rather than be swept up by the urge. The idea is not to force the urge down, but to practice creating some distance between the urge and oneself.
More than meditation: Participants also planned ways to find enjoyment outside gaming
The sessions were held weekly in a group over eight weeks. According to the English-language press release, students practiced mindfulness meditation and learned social skills and self-care strategies each week. The program also included identifying and planning enjoyable alternatives to gaming—such as physical activities like exercise, social leisure activities, and creative hobbies—and putting those plans into practice.
In other words, time spent sitting and observing the breath was paired with everyday activities that get the body moving. For a generation accustomed to stimulation from screens, simply recommending time spent sitting quietly may feel like a high barrier. When mindfulness is paired with practices involving the body, relationships, and hobbies, it can become a tool for changing daily life.
A comparison of 24 and 22 students found that self-control lasted a month
The research team assigned 24 of the 46 students to MBCT-G and placed the remaining 22 in a comparison group that received no program. Researchers measured gaming disorder symptoms, impulsivity, depression, perceived stress, anxiety, and self-control before and after the program, and again four weeks after it ended.
According to the paper’s abstract, the program group showed greater reductions than the comparison group in gaming disorder symptoms, perceived stress, and state anxiety, and greater gains in self-control. These changes persisted at the four-week follow-up. However, the improvement in state anxiety did not last through the four-week follow-up. The abstract does not report separate results for impulsivity or depression, which were also measured.
In a department announcement, Professor Yoon said the study could provide an evidence-based psychological intervention to help students break the cycle of impulsively turning to gaming in response to academic stress. The English-language press release also noted that the group format requires fewer clinical staff and expressed hope that the program could be made available through university counseling centers and centers that prevent problematic gaming.
A 46-person pilot study; researchers say larger studies are needed
These results should be viewed as a first step that points to potential. The study had only 46 participants, and the comparison group received no intervention. Because the students were not compared with a group taking part in another activity for the same amount of time, it is difficult to determine whether the changes came from mindfulness or from the experience of meeting in a group and receiving attention. The follow-up period was also short, at four weeks.
The research team likewise concluded in the paper that the findings should be tested again with more participants, a comparison group engaged in another activity, and a longer follow-up period. Students experiencing problematic gaming and their families should view this not as a definitive treatment, but as one option to consider alongside professional counseling.
Mindfulness for an information-overloaded generation: A question from Korean researchers in an international journal
The World Health Organization included gaming disorder in the International Classification of Diseases in 2019. In an age when the screen in our hands delivers a constant stream of stimulation, the ability to step back from an urge is not a challenge only for some students who game excessively. Most people today know what it is like to reach for their phones as soon as a notification sounds.
This study is an example of Korean researchers designing a program for Korean college students and publishing their findings in an international journal with a researcher from Oxford, a leading center for mindfulness research. The project was supported by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism and the Korea Creative Content Agency through a program to develop gaming-based digital therapeutics. It is worth noting that evidence is being built in Korea on whether meditation can move beyond temples and retreat centers into university counseling offices and efforts to prevent digital overuse.
The instruction to notice what is arising within you right now may stay with someone longer than the advice to quit gaming. For people unfamiliar with seated meditation, it may be fine to start with practices that involve the body, such as walking, exercise, or activities with other people. Practicing a pause before acting on an urge, in a way that suits you, is the starting point this study offers.
For inquiries: fare3041@naver.com