10/06/2026
Do over-stimulating video games turn people into impulsive addicts, or are impulsive people simply drawn to gaming?
The relationship between gaming and cognitive control isn't as simple as you think. A recent study compared non-gamers, recreational gamers (14+ hours a week), and those at risk of a gaming disorder to see how they faired on memory, focus, and flexibility tasks.
The findings present a fascinating paradox:
The Attentional Boost: In pure focus and attention tasks, recreational gamers actually outperformed non-gamers, showing superior response readiness.
The Tipping Point: For the problematic gaming group, those benefits completely vanished. Instead, they showed a severe reduction in working memory capacity and significantly higher rates of impulsivity.
The Catch:
Because this study is a snapshot in time, it cannot prove causality. We don’t know if excess gaming causes these deficits, or if naturally impulsive individuals with lower working memory are simply more vulnerable to getting hooked.
The Takeaway:
Whether it is gaming, social media, or high-stimulation work tasks, boundary-setting is critical for protecting self-regulation. Keep it moderate, and your attentional processing might thank you for it.
👉 Discover how to build better self-regulation and focus within your teams. Visit leadingtraining.co.za to view our latest professional development programmes.