Esports, or organized competitive video gaming with in- and out-of-game rules, have significantly grown in popularity in the last 10 years (Nothelfer et al., 2024). It is a common misconception that the first video game was created in 1972, but that was the year of the first esports tournament, held at Stanford University (Jin & …
Continue reading How Screen Time May Be Affecting Your Health as an Esports Player
Esports, or organized competitive video gaming (Jenny et al., 2017), have proven to be a global phenomenon that attracts millions of players and audiences. The esports industry is massive, with professional tournaments offering multi-million-dollar prize pools and streaming platforms like Twitch and YouTube enabling influencers and talented gamers a full-time income (Ahn et al., 2020). …
If you are under the age of 45 years old, you have probably been there: hours spent glued to the screen, trying to “level up” in a favorite video game or competing for that top high score or ranking. But while you were focused on your gaming skills, there’s something that was likely ignored: your …
Continue reading Sit Up, Game On: How Gamer Posture Can Make or Break Your Health
The gaming community needs to be aware of the importance of getting up and moving during video game play, staying active when not gaming, and doing active stretches regularly. This is important for all gamers no matter what competitive level (i.e., rank) or age. Gamers need to be aware of how long they are sitting. …
Caffeine is a well-known stimulant substance used by athletes, students, and workers to provide an energy boost and enhance alertness throughout the day. However, while caffeine offers some positive effects, it can also cause negative side effects as well. With the massive growth of esports – i.e., organized competitive video gaming (Jenny et al., 2017), …
Ever find yourself having to go to sleep because your eyes hurt so bad from staring at a screen? Or maybe you have been playing video games for countless hours and your back is hurting. Well, turns out video games can have quite a negative health effect on individuals who play too much! One study …
Throughout my childhood, I was constantly busy trying to balance my schoolwork, softball practices, and my social life. When I had the odd day off though, I savored being able to just sit in front of my PlayStation 2 for the day playing various video games. In my own experience, I was never questioned by …
Continue reading The Line Between Esports and Gaming Addiction
For most of my life, video games have played a major role. From a young age, video games have been a key part of my hobbies, online content consumption, and identity. When I was 6, my dad handed down his SEGA Genesis, a gaming console released 13 years prior, with a copy of Sonic the …
Continue reading Teacher and Stress Reliever: From Sonic to Valorant
Esports players are consistently in front of a screen, oftentimes for long durations. I know when I was little my parents always said, “Don’t sit that close to the TV!” In my undergraduate studies I have had the pleasure of taking a class called Introduction to Esports taught by Dr. Seth Jenny. In this class …
Continue reading The Relation Between Esports/Gaming and Increased Sleep Disturbances
The relationship between esports and energy drinks has existed as long as the sport itself. Esports are organized video game competitions (Jenny et al., 2017). Just this past weekend I was watching a Super SmashSonic the Hedgehog Bros. Ultimate tournament that was sponsored by Red Bull. This, however, is not a strange occurrence in the …
Continue reading The Dangers of Energy Drink Sponsorship in Esports
“As a student-athlete, there are three main areas of life: 1) academics, 2) athletics, and 3) social life. But, you can only really do two of those three areas well! Which two do you think are most important?” I heard this stated by an NCAA Division 1 athlete guest speaker as I attended a cross …
Continue reading Technology and Life Balance: The Case of Esports
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