A new global survey, conducted by Kaspersky, explores the role of performance in gaming and their attitudes towards it.
A survey commissioned by Kaspersky, has revealed that good mental health is one of the biggest issues affecting gamers throughout the UK, with a good majority (63%) believing that it is the key to successful gaming. However, the study 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 wellbeing 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%), practicing their gaming skills or even have good internet bandwidth (29%).
David Alonso, Head of esports for Giants Gaming, a professional esports organization, explained, "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. This is seen in the fact that 63% 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 practicing what they think they should” commented 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 of phishing attempts or other social-engineering driven cyberthreats which would otherwise go unnoticed”.
In order to maintain high-level computing performance and healthy system security, Kaspersky recommends the following:
- Beware of phishing campaigns and unfamiliar gamers. It’s a good option to double-check the website you are redirected to via the link in the received email and the extension of a file you are going to open.
- It’s safer to buy games only on official sites and wait for the sales — they regularly take place, so you won’t be sitting on your hands for long.
- Reliable security solutions can support specific modes, created for gamers. For instance, “Gaming” and “Do not Disturb” modes in new Kaspersky solutions turn on automatically while users are gaming, watching movies or on a video call, and turn off when they are done. When apps intended for work, study or play are used, the relevant mode activates itself, hiding tasks and notifications. Users only receive critical security alerts when their attention is required.
- To help gamers regain some mental health strength, Kaspersky also recommends to check out the CyberSpa.
