If you are a gamer, you’ve probably heard of the word “tilting”.
However, for those who don’t play games, here is a definition from Urban Dictionary:
When you are so pissed off from losing multiple games that you play worse and worse till you’re so pissed you begin leaning over your keyboard screaming over every little mistake you make and complaining about gaming imbalances.”
Basically, it’s when a gamer starts losing the plot and gets angry and annoyed after losing games.
Now, one might wonder, how does NOT tilting relate to academic success in anyway?
Surely, not playing games is the best way to lead to academic success? Indeed, researchers have argued that quantity of video gaming negatively affects academic performance, as time spent gaming might otherwise be spent on studying. Research also showed that approximately 83% of adolescents plays video games regularly. Now, if the argument above was true, then this would be a big issue.
HOWEVER, recent research suggests that there are differences between students’ academic performance depending on if they game on weekdays or weekend. Researchers argue that weekday gaming is negatively associated with academic performance, while weekend gaming is positively associated with academic performance. This demonstrates the benefits of weekend gaming for a student. **That’s an argument you can tell your parents, just don’t tell them where you read it 😉 **
Now back to the original question. How does not tilting lead to academic success? Playing while on tilt is a snowball issue. When we’re tilting, we play significantly worse, which leads to more tilting and terrible gaming!
Dealing with Tilt
If you’re gaming and start tilting, you can:
- Take a break
- Analyse your gameplay to learn from your mistake
- Have a slice of humble pie, understand that no one plays perfectly, not you nor others.
- Think about your wins as well as your losses
This is just as true when it comes to our studies!
What Can Overcoming Tilt Teach us in an Academic Environment?
- Take a break: We aren’t robots, always give yourself time to rest, and it doesn’t matter if it’s from gaming or from studying. Booster breaks have been argued by many researchers to improve productivity.
- Analyse your performance. Are you doing particularly badly in certain subjects? If so could you identify the reason behind it? Most importantly, learn from your mistakes.
- Have a slice of humble pie. Understand that you are not perfect, you don’t need to give yourself unnecessary pressure to do perfectly at school. Maladaptive perfectionism has been found to be associated with school burnout.
- Think about your wins as well as your losses. Think about everything you have accomplished. Research has shown that gratitude positively affects learning outcomes.
Gaming is not just a way to have fun or to use time; it can also be a training ground for achieving success at school and even out in the real world.
However, if you or someone else is having difficulty focusing at school because of excessive gaming, it is recommended that they seek professional help before the negative consequences spiral.
Author: Christopher Lee, B Psych Science (Hons); Masters of Psych (Clinical); MAPS
Christopher Lee is a Brisbane psychologist with a keen interest in helping teenagers and young adults with trauma, behavioural and relational issues. In addition to speaking English, Cantonese and Mandarin fluently, Christopher uses evidence-based therapy techniques such as CBT, ACT, EFT, and DBT.
To make an appointment with Christopher Lee try Online Booking. Alternatively, you can call M1 Psychology Loganholme on (07) 3067 9129 or Vision Psychology Wishart on (07) 3088 5422.
References:
- Hartanto, A., Toh, W. X., & Yang, H. (2018). Context counts: The different implications of weekday and weekend video gaming for academic performance in mathematics, reading, and science. Computers and Education, 120, 51–63. Doi:10.1016/j.compedu.2017.12.007
- Green, C. S., & Bavelier, D. (2015). Action video game training for cognitive enhancement. Current Opinion in Behavioral Sciences, 4, 103–108. Doi:10.1016/j.cobeha.2015.04.012
- Williams, D., Yee, N., & Caplan, S. E. (2008). Who plays, how much, and why? Debunking the stereotypical gamer profile. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 13(4), 993–1018. Doi:10.1111/j.1083-6101.2008.00428.x
- Weis, R., & Cerankosky, B. C. (2010). Effects of Video-Game Ownership on Young Boys’ Academic and Behavioral Functioning: A Randomized, Controlled Study. Psychological Science, 21(4), 463–470. Doi:10.1177/0956797610362670
- Taylor, W. C. (2011). Booster Breaks: an easy-to-implement workplace policy designed to improve employee health, increase productivity, and lower health care costs. Journal of Workplace Behavioral Health, 26(1), 70-84.
- Luo, Y., Wang, Z., Zhang, H., Chen, A., & Quan, S. (2016). The effect of perfectionism on school burnout among adolescence: The mediator of self-esteem and coping style. Personality and Individual Differences, 88, 202-208.
- Sevari, K., & Farzadi, F. (2018). The role of gratitude in academic performance and life satisfaction through mediation Social support of parents, faculty and classmates. Quarterly Social Psychology Research, 8(29), 23-42.
- Valdez, J. P. M., Datu, J. A. D., & Chu, S. K. W. (2021). Gratitude intervention optimizes effective learning outcomes in Filipino high school students: A mixed-methods study. Computers & Education, 104268.