Video Games, Body and Brain: A B2 English Reading Unit

Level: B2

Printable: Student handout (PDF) | Teacher’s key (PDF)

Reading

Video games are one of the world’s most popular pastimes, and they worry many people. Research gives no single answer. Results depend on the kind of game, how long and when people play, and how researchers measure an effect. Many studies can only show an association, a link between gaming and an outcome, without proving that one causes the other.

The clearest physical risks are strain and poor sleep. In a 2019 survey of 65 college esports players in the United States and Canada, 56 percent reported eye fatigue, 42 percent neck or back pain, 36 percent wrist pain, and 32 percent hand pain. However, the sample was small and the answers were self-reported. A 2024 review of 26 studies of adults found that excessive gaming was linked with poorer sleep and later bedtimes, while casual play was not. In sleep experiments, playing an exciting game shortly before bed delayed sleep, whereas a calm but mentally demanding game was followed by more continuous sleep.

Some research reports cognitive benefits, meaning gains in thinking skills. A 2018 analysis led by Benoit Bediou at the University of Geneva combined studies of one genre, action games. Regular players outperformed non-players by a medium amount, and in training studies, where non-players were given action games, the gain was smaller. The clearest effects were on attention and spatial skills. The authors warned of publication bias: published results were about 30 percent larger than those across all the research. A 2023 update found a similar pattern. In a 2014 Berlin study, 23 adults played Super Mario 64 for at least 30 minutes a day for two months. Compared with non-players, they gained grey matter in areas linked to memory, planning, and movement. Brain change, however, does not prove better everyday thinking.

These claims are contested. In the same journal in 2018, Giovanni Sala and colleagues combined hundreds of results from all kinds of video games. They found small or no effects and no evidence that playing games improves general cognitive ability. In their view, the problem is transfer: getting better at a game does not carry over to unrelated tasks. The two teams also asked different questions: Bediou’s group studied one genre and specific skills, Sala’s group all games and general ability. Their findings may therefore disagree less than they first seem to.

Large studies of children add data but not proof. A European team used the US ABCD study of child development to follow more than 5,000 children for two years. Those who spent more time than average on games gained about 2.5 IQ points more than the average, while TV and social media showed no such link. Another ABCD analysis of about 2,000 children found that those who played three hours or more a day did better on tests of impulse control and working memory than children who never played. Both studies are observational: they compare children instead of assigning them to play.

On addiction, the World Health Organization’s ICD-11 classification lists gaming disorder. Its criteria include loss of control over gaming, giving it priority over other activities, and continuing despite harm. The pattern must cause significant problems in daily life and usually last at least 12 months. A 2021 Australian review of 53 studies in 17 countries put the worldwide prevalence of the disorder at about 3 percent, or about 2 percent in studies with stricter sampling. Screening questionnaires explained 77 percent of the differences between studies. On violence, an American Psychological Association task force concluded in 2020 that violent games have a small link with acts such as yelling and pushing, but not enough evidence connects them with violent crime.

Instead of relying on players’ memories, a 2022 Oxford study used six weeks of play records for 38,935 adults from seven game companies. It found little or no evidence that time spent playing affected wellbeing, although players’ reasons for playing seemed to matter. The evidence supports limited claims. Playing heavily late at night is linked with worse sleep, and a small share of players meet the criteria for a disorder. Claims that games raise general intelligence are not established, and attention gains from action games are debated. The studies reviewed here give little sign that moderate play causes harm, but most of them show associations, not causes. The Geneva team has called for more training studies with over 30 hours of play.

Vocabulary

Each word has a frequency score, a rank, and a tag. The score shows how common the word is in modern English: higher means more common, and each full point means roughly ten times more common. The rank is the word’s position on a list of about 321,000 English word forms, from most to least common. The tag shows where you are most likely to meet the word: Current, Formal, Literary, or Dated. The paragraph number shows where the word first appears in the reading. The labels are information, not instructions. Deciding which words are worth your time is up to you. How to read the scores, ranks, and tags.

Many gaming studies show an association, not a cause.
There is a clear association between smoking and lung disease.

Long hours at a screen can cause eye and neck strain.
Carrying heavy boxes put a strain on his back.

The esports survey used a small sample of 65 players.
A sample of 2,000 voters was asked about the election.

Excessive gaming was linked with poorer sleep.
The company was criticized for excessive spending on advertising.

Some studies report cognitive benefits from action games.
Memory and attention are cognitive skills.

The Geneva review looked at only one genre, action games.
Science fiction is my favorite film genre.

Regular action-game players outperformed non-players on attention tests.
Our team outperformed every other school in the science competition.

Publication bias can make an effect look larger than it is.
The survey was criticized for bias against small companies.

Claims that games improve thinking are contested.
The result of the election was contested in court.

Sala’s team found little transfer from games to other tasks.
Learning chess does not guarantee a transfer of skill to math.

The tests measured impulse control and working memory.
She bought the jacket on impulse.

The WHO criteria for gaming disorder include loss of control.
The job has three main criteria.

Gaming disorder must cause significant problems in daily life.
There was a significant increase in sales.

The worldwide prevalence of gaming disorder is about 3 percent.
The prevalence of smoking has fallen in many countries.

There is little sign that moderate play causes harm.
Doctors recommend moderate exercise several times a week.

Activity Page

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Speed Challenge

Answer 12 questions against the clock. Every wrong answer adds 5 seconds, and the lowest score wins. Open the speed challenge in a new tab.

Shadow Reading and Typing: Proving My Mother Wrong

This short text uses many of the words from this lesson. Use it for shadow reading (reading aloud along with a model) and for typing practice.

My mother always said that video games would ruin my eyes and my brain. When I started playing for five or six hours a night, she may have had a point. I often felt strain in my neck and wrists, and I went to bed far too late. Research suggests that excessive gaming is linked with poorer sleep.

I wanted to prove her wrong, so I looked for studies about cognitive benefits. Some found that players of one genre, action games, outperformed non-players on attention tasks. But the researchers warned about publication bias. Other scientists found little evidence that skills transfer from games to unrelated tasks, so the benefits are still contested.

Most of the research also shows an association, not a cause. Large studies found that children who played more did better on some tests of impulse control and memory. But they were not assigned to play. One survey of players’ pain was based on a small sample. I realized that neither my mother nor I could claim the evidence was fully on our side.

I also read about gaming disorder. The criteria include losing control and continuing to play despite harm, and the problems must be significant. Its prevalence seems to be low, at around a few percent of players. I do not think I meet those criteria, but I have changed my habits. Now I keep my play moderate, and I stop an hour before bed.

How to practice

Read the text silently once and check any words you are unsure of.
Read it aloud slowly, one sentence at a time. On the typing page, the Listen button reads each line with your device’s voice, so you can listen first and then repeat.
Shadow: read aloud again at a natural speed, trying to keep a steady rhythm without stopping.
Record yourself, listen back, and note one sentence to practice again.
Type it on the typing page below and check your speed and accuracy.

Open the typing practice in a new tab

Comprehension Questions

Why does the reading say that research on video games gives no single answer?
What physical problems did the esports players report, and why should the survey be read with caution?
What did the 2024 review and the sleep experiments find about gaming and sleep?
What did the Geneva team find about action games, and what warning did the authors give?
What did the Berlin study show, and what does it not prove?
How do the conclusions of Sala and colleagues differ from those of Bediou and colleagues, and how does the reading explain the difference?
What do the two ABCD analyses report, and why are they described as observational?
How does ICD-11 describe gaming disorder, and why do prevalence estimates vary?
Evaluate the final paragraph. Which claims does the reading treat as reasonably supported, and which as not established or still debated?

IELTS-Style Questions

True, False, or Not Given: “Most of the esports players in the 2019 survey saw a doctor about their pain.” Explain your answer using evidence from the reading.
Yes, No, or Not Given: “The writer believes that the two 2018 reviews may disagree less than they first seem to.” Explain your answer using evidence from the reading.
Author’s purpose: Why does the writer point out that the 2022 Oxford study used play records from game companies instead of players’ memories?

AI Discussion Prompt

I just read a B2 English lesson about what research says about video games and the body and brain. It covered physical strain and sleep, two 2018 reviews that disagree about cognitive benefits, a Berlin brain study, two studies of US children, gaming disorder and its prevalence, violent games, and a 2022 Oxford study of play records and wellbeing. I am an English learner at about B2 level. Please have a balanced conversation with me about the evidence, without asking for private health details. Present more than one perspective and ask one question at a time. Encourage me to use words like association, sample, bias, contested, and moderate. Respond to my ideas first, then briefly point out one or two language errors.

AI Vocabulary Prompt

I want to practice vocabulary from a lesson about video games and the body and brain. Please quiz me on the following words one at a time, using a mix of question types: multiple choice, true/false, and sentence completion. Give me feedback after each answer before moving on, and bring back the words I miss later. Here are the words: association, strain, sample, excessive, cognitive, genre, outperformed, bias, contested, transfer, impulse, criteria, significant, prevalence, moderate.

Discussion Questions

Which kinds of video games are popular with people you know? Why do you think people choose them?
The reading says results depend on the type of game and when people play. Which types of game do you think are most and least likely to affect sleep? Why?
The esports survey had a small sample and self-reported answers. How could researchers make a study of physical problems more reliable?
Many gamers sit for long periods. What simple habits could reduce physical strain for people who spend hours at a screen for any reason?
Two reviews in the same journal reached different conclusions. How should a non-expert decide which study to believe?
The Berlin study found brain changes in players. Why is it risky to assume that a change in the brain means better everyday thinking?
Have you ever learned a skill in one area that helped you in a completely different area? What does this suggest about transfer?
Studies of children can show associations but not causes. What kind of study would give stronger evidence, and would it be ethical to run?
The choice of questionnaire explained most of the differences in prevalence estimates. What does this suggest about statistics on addiction in general?
Should gaming disorder be treated like other addictions, such as gambling? What are the benefits and risks of giving it a medical name?
The Oxford study depended on game companies sharing data. When is cooperation with industry useful for research, and when could it be a problem?
Should governments limit children’s gaming time? Which evidence from the reading supports or weakens the case for limits?
Do game designers have a responsibility for players’ sleep and wellbeing? What, if anything, should they change?
The reading ends with a call for longer training studies. If you could fund one study about video games, what question would it answer, and why?

Language Focus: Gerunds as Subjects and After Prepositions

What it is: A gerund is the -ing form of a verb used as a noun. It can be the subject of a sentence (“Playing late delays sleep”) or the object of a preposition such as “without”, “instead of”, “by”, or “despite” (“without proving a cause”). A gerund phrase can include objects and other details, and the verb after a gerund subject is singular.

Why writers use it: Research writing often treats activities as topics: playing, learning, sleeping. A gerund subject lets a writer make an action the topic of a sentence without naming who does it. After a preposition, English uses a gerund, not an infinitive: “instead of relying”, not “instead of to rely”.

Examples from the reading:

“…playing an exciting game shortly before bed delayed sleep…” (subject)
“…a link between gaming and an outcome, without proving that one causes the other.” (after a preposition)
“…getting better at a game does not carry over to unrelated tasks.” (subject)
“…they compare children instead of assigning them to play…” (after a preposition)
“Playing heavily late at night is linked with worse sleep…” (subject)
“Instead of relying on players’ memories, a 2022 Oxford study used…” (after a preposition)

Practice task: Rewrite each sentence with a gerund. (1) Begin with Sitting…: “It is tiring to sit at a screen for hours.” (2) Use by: “She practiced every day, and this improved her reaction time.”

(Example answer: “(1) Sitting at a screen for hours is tiring. (2) She improved her reaction time by practicing every day.”)

Recommended Resources

Meta-Analysis of Action Video Game Impact on Perceptual, Attentional, and Cognitive Skills (Bediou et al., Psychological Bulletin, 2018). The summary of the Geneva review of action games. Look for the effect sizes and the warning about publication bias.
Video Game Training Does Not Enhance Cognitive Ability: A Comprehensive Meta-Analytic Investigation (Sala, Tatlidil and Gobet, Psychological Bulletin, 2018). The summary of the review that found no general benefit. Notice how it explains the idea of far transfer.
Video Gaming and Sleep in Adults: A Systematic Review (De Rosa et al., 2024). The summary of the review of 26 studies, explaining why the type of game and the amount of play matter for sleep.
Global Prevalence of Gaming Disorder: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis (Stevens et al., Australian and New Zealand Journal of Psychiatry, 2021). The summary of the Australian review, with its prevalence estimates and the effect of different questionnaires.
Major New Study Finds Little Evidence for Causal Connection Between Well-Being and Video Game Playing (Oxford Internet Institute, 2022). A short news release on the study of 38,935 players, with comments from the researchers on using real play data.