Games, Entertainment, and Psychological Hardship: Historical Roles and Future Scenario Analysis
Introduction
Since ancient times, humanity has developed ways to ease psychological suffering through entertainment—such as play (games) and storytelling (films, novels, etc.)—as a means of escaping harsh realities. Today, a wide variety of entertainment, from digital and board games to cinema and literature, has been shown to help improve depression, reduce social isolation, and support psychological recovery from war-related trauma.
This report analyzes the roles that games and entertainment have played in alleviating mental hardship, drawing on historical sources and academic research supported by quantitative evidence. It also uses scenario-analysis methods to forecast the impact on human society over the next 10 and 1,000 years if these forms of entertainment were to disappear completely from the world. Numerical data and statistical foundations are prioritized, with comparison tables and graphs used to present the findings clearly and visually.
Roles and Effects of Games and Entertainment in Human History
Their Role in Improving Depression
Entertainment has historically contributed to alleviating depressive states. For example, during the Great Depression of the 1930s, inexpensive board games that could be played repeatedly—such as Monopoly—became extremely popular, offering people hope amid severe economic hardship [1][2]. These games not only provided “low-cost fun” but also gave players a sense of “prosperity” and relief from everyday tension, functioning as a kind of psychological tonic [2], and have been reported to help reduce anxiety and depressive feelings.
Modern research also shows that games can significantly improve depressive symptoms. In one example involving digital games, a randomized controlled trial conducted at East Carolina University (ECU) found that participants prescribed casual puzzle games experienced an average reduction of 57% in depressive symptoms, a statistically significant improvement over the control group [3]. The same study confirmed a meaningful decrease in anxiety symptoms (about 20% reduction) and an overall 65% improvement in mood, with benefits observed even after sessions as short as 30 minutes [4]. The researchers noted that “casual games are low-cost, widely accessible, and can serve as a self-help tool for individuals with depression who are not receiving treatment” [5]. In fact, roughly 75% of people with depression currently receive no treatment, and the study recommends games as a supplemental form of support for them [6].
A well-known example of applying games directly within treatment programs is SPARX, an RPG-style computerized therapy developed in New Zealand. SPARX uses a fantasy-game format to deliver cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) elements. In an RCT involving 187 adolescents with depression, SPARX was found to improve depressive symptoms as effectively as conventional in-person therapy; moreover, participants who completed four or more modules showed higher remission rates than those receiving traditional treatment [7]. The study concluded that SPARX can serve as an affordable and accessible therapeutic alternative for young people [8].
Reading (literature) has also long been used for emotional healing. Bibliotherapy has demonstrated effectiveness for mild to moderate depression in meta-analyses, with effect sizes around 0.8 (a large improvement) reported across multiple combined studies [9]. Current clinical guidelines also position such self-help treatments as valid supportive interventions [10].
Overall, games and storytelling have shown remarkable effectiveness in easing depressive symptoms. According to the WHO, about 5.7% of adults globally—over 330 million people—suffer from depression today [11][12]. Immersive engagement with games or entertainment can soften symptoms such as anhedonia and low mood, stimulating positive emotions and thereby improving quality of life for this vast population. Depression is also a potential contributor to suicide [11], and reductions in depressive symptoms through entertainment may in turn lower suicide risk. Indeed, studies show that individuals who frequently participate in cultural activities have significantly lower rates of depression and depressive feelings later in life [13].
Their Role in Reducing Social Isolation
Play and entertainment have long served as vital spaces that connect people and soothe loneliness. Since ancient times, festivals, theater, and group games have strengthened community cohesion and helped alleviate feelings of isolation. For example, theater performances in ancient Greek amphitheaters and medieval popular entertainments—such as spectacles and card games—are believed to have created shared emotional experiences among participants, thereby reducing individual anxiety. Even today, experiences in which “everyone enjoys the same thing together,” such as watching movies in a theater or attending sports events, have been shown to ease psychological isolation.
An experiment conducted at University College London (UCL) found that even complete strangers watching a film together exhibited synchronized heart rates during the screening, and afterward they reported heightened “sense of unity with others” and increased “feelings of closeness” [14]. The study attributes this to the shared, immersive environment of the cinema, which promotes the formation of social bonds [15]. Indeed, shared-attention forms of entertainment are known to reduce loneliness and depressive feelings [16], and large-screen communal experiences have drawn attention as a countermeasure to rising loneliness in the smartphone era [17].
Analog tabletop games (board games and card games) also function as tools that promote face-to-face interaction and reduce loneliness. Experiments in eldercare facilities have shown that group board-game activities held several times a week improved interpersonal communication and self-efficacy among participants, significantly reducing subjective loneliness [18]. In one study, playing a board game involving discussions of themes such as gratitude, apology, love, and parting over a four-week period enhanced the quality of interactions and improved loneliness scores [19]. Another study reported that older adults who played the collaborative storytelling board game Kioku for three months experienced increased subjective well-being and reduced feelings of loneliness compared to a non-participating group [20]. These findings indicate that face-to-face games provide social opportunities across generations and can lower the risk of social isolation.
Digital games also connect people worldwide through online play. Moderate online gaming can satisfy social needs and offer opportunities to participate in a community, particularly for individuals who tend to be isolated in their offline lives. For example, one study found that when digital games were introduced to older adults, the results included not only improvements in cognitive function but also reductions in social isolation and depressive symptoms [21].
In all eras, games and entertainment have served as shared spaces where people can enjoy experiences together, helping to ease loneliness and mitigate tendencies toward social withdrawal.
Their Role in Psychological Recovery from War
Entertainment has also played a crucial role in helping people recover from trauma caused by war and conflict. For soldiers and civilians placed in extreme conditions, brief moments of entertainment can provide significant emotional relief. During both World War I and World War II, frontline troops were provided with mobile performances of music, theater, and film, as well as portable games such as playing cards and chess. These activities helped maintain morale and emotional stability. In the U.S. military during World War II, the well-known “USO shows,” in which famous entertainers visited bases to perform for soldiers, were widespread. Many soldiers testified that the shows “allowed them to forget the battlefield, even for a moment, and eased their hearts.” After the war, art therapy and game-based therapy were introduced in rehabilitation programs for veterans suffering from PTSD, where they have been used as tools for psychological care.
Recent systematic research by King’s College London reported that entertainment helps maintain soldiers’ morale and consequently protects them from mental distress [22]. Longitudinal studies of U.S. troops show that declines in morale during deployment correlate with increases in PTSD and other mental health issues, with data indicating that PTSD incidence peaked around the 10th month of a 12-month deployment, when morale was at its lowest [23]. Under such conditions, providing high-quality entertainment becomes an important factor in reducing stress and preventing morale from deteriorating further [24]. Professor Jones notes that “entertainment alone cannot prevent all the psychological effects of war, but appropriate entertainment can help protect personnel from mental disorders” [25]. In fact, reports suggest that the British military, by dividing deployments into shorter segments and providing rest and entertainment between them, has kept PTSD prevalence among frontline soldiers at around 3–7%, lower than U.S. levels [26].
For civilians, entertainment has also contributed to psychological recovery in postwar societies. The flourishing of film, music, and sports in many countries after World War II occurred because entertainment symbolized a return of hope and joy during the collective recovery from grief and loss. In Japan, for instance, postwar popular songs and entertainment films brought laughter and relief to ordinary people, supporting emotional reconstruction. Although such effects are difficult to quantify, psychologists emphasize that “the role entertainment plays in fostering psychological resilience should not be underestimated.”
In sum, games and entertainment have been indispensable elements of mental-health support and morale maintenance during wartime and disasters, and they have contributed significantly to psychological reconstruction in postwar societies.
Quantitative Effects of Games and Entertainment on Mental Health
As described above, numerous studies have confirmed the positive psychological effects of entertainment in measurable, numerical terms. Key findings are summarized below.
Improvements in Depressive Symptoms Through Digital Game Therapy:
• A reduction of 57% in depressive symptoms (statistically significant) [3], a 65% improvement in overall mood, and a 20% reduction in anxiety [4] in participants who engaged with puzzle-based casual games (intervention group, n≈30).
• The SPARX game-based CBT program demonstrated effectiveness equivalent to conventional therapy [7].
Reduced Risk of Depression Through Cultural Activities:
• A 10-year longitudinal study of roughly 2,000 adults aged 50 and above found that individuals who attended cultural events—such as movies, theater, or art museums—once or more per month had a 48% lower risk of developing depression later in life.
• Even those attending only once every few months saw a 32% reduction in risk [13].
These results remained significant after adjusting for factors such as age and health, indicating that cultural participation is a strong protective factor.
Reduction of Loneliness and Psychological Improvement Through Board-Game Interventions:
• Experiments in eldercare facilities reported significant increases in interpersonal communication and self-efficacy after four weeks of group board-game activities, along with lower subjective loneliness scores [18].
• Another three-month group-game intervention also confirmed reduced loneliness and increased well-being [20].
Entertainment and Soldiers’ Mental Health:
• Declines in morale during long deployments correlate with increases in PTSD [23].
• High-quality entertainment supports morale and helps suppress the development of psychological disorders [25].
• The British military—where welfare and entertainment provisions are relatively robust—reports PTSD rates of around 7% even among frontline soldiers [26], lower than U.S. levels during extended deployments.
Psychological Effects of Film Viewing and Related Activities:
• UCL experiments found that film viewers exhibit synchronized heart rate and skin-conductance responses, and report greater feelings of closeness to others afterward [14].
• Shared experiences are known to reduce loneliness and depressive feelings [16].
• A U.K. survey (ages 25–44) further reported that individuals who go to the cinema at least once a month experience a 55–62% reduction in self-reported mental-health difficulties [13], based on data from Cineworld [27].
Taken together, this evidence clearly shows that games and entertainment have statistically significant effects in reducing depression and anxiety, alleviating loneliness, and improving psychological well-being. They may also contribute indirectly to suicide prevention. Depression is a major risk factor for suicide, and as noted above, participation in entertainment activities can substantially reduce both depressive symptoms and the risk of developing depression. Indeed, studies among older adults show that those who frequently engage in cultural activities are significantly less likely to develop depression [13], and cumulatively this could contribute to fewer suicide attempts and deaths.
Entertainment-Disappearance Scenario: Projected Impacts on Human Society
What would happen if, from this point forward, all forms of entertainment—such as games, films, and novels—were to vanish completely from the world? In this section, we use scenario analysis to forecast potential changes in human society over two timeframes: the short term (next 10 years) and the long term (next 1,000 years).
As a preliminary point for these predictions, the “forced entertainment restrictions” experienced during the COVID-19 pandemic offer a useful reference. In fact, due to lockdowns and event restrictions implemented worldwide in 2020, the first year of the pandemic, the global prevalence of anxiety and depression increased by 25% [28]. Analyses suggest that one of the main causes was the stress stemming from loss of social interaction and entertainment opportunities [29]. Therefore, if entertainment were to disappear permanently, its impact would likely be immeasurably greater.
Short-Term Impacts (Next 10 Years)
Assume that from 2025 to 2035, all forms of entertainment—digital or analog, including games, films, and novels—disappear from the world. The first expected outcome is a significant rise in the prevalence of mental disorders. As noted earlier, participation in entertainment activities reduces the risk of developing depression by roughly half [13]. Without this protective effect, the incidence and prevalence of depression would increase sharply. Even with a conservative estimate, the global prevalence of depression (currently about 5.7% among adults [11]) would rise to around 7–8% within 10 years—approximately a 1.5-fold increase. In absolute numbers, this means an additional 100–200 million people suffering from depression on top of the current 300 million. This would impose a severe burden on healthcare and welfare systems in all countries, likely leading to even more patients unable to access appropriate treatment.
Similarly, increases in anxiety disorders and stress-related conditions are expected. Many people in modern society rely on games and films as coping mechanisms for stress; removing these outlets would result in widespread chronic stress overload. Symptoms such as irritability, insomnia, and burnout would become more common, potentially reducing work productivity and worsening interpersonal relationships.
A particularly serious concern is the rise in suicide rates. As depression worsens and social isolation deepens, the number of individuals experiencing suicidal ideation would likely increase. Currently, the global suicide rate is estimated at about 9 per 100,000 people (around 720,000 deaths per year) [30][12]. If mental health deteriorates due to loss of entertainment, this rate could climb into the high double digits. Realistically, within 10 years it could reach 12–15 per 100,000—30–60% higher than current levels—translating into over one million suicides per year. Among younger populations, entertainment often serves as a lifeline for stress relief and maintaining hope, so its disappearance could have a direct impact on youth suicide rates.
On the societal level, deeper social fragmentation and isolation are major concerns. Entertainment serves as a social lubricant that creates shared topics and enjoyment across age, race, and religion. Without it, platforms that connect people would disappear. As a result, individuals would have fewer points of contact outside of work or basic survival activities, weakening community bonds. Local events and hobby groups would vanish, reducing opportunities to form new relationships. Vulnerable groups—such as older adults and people with disabilities—would face severe risk of isolation. Family communication would also decline, as shared entertainment activities (e.g., watching TV or playing games together) disappear, potentially leading to more situations where people retreat into phones or work and stop interacting. Deepening isolation can erode social trust and exacerbate conflicts. If people shift their attention from entertainment to political or religious ideologies, polarization may intensify, leading to increased social division. Short-term impacts could include deteriorating public safety and a rise in hate crimes.
As a possible positive aspect, some might argue that time previously spent on entertainment could be redirected toward work or study, increasing economic productivity. However, once the massive increase in mental health issues—leading to absenteeism, long-term sick leave, and productivity decline—is taken into account, the overall economic impact is likely negative. In fact, economic losses caused by poor mental health already amount to several percent of GDP in many countries. Losing entertainment would amplify this loss.
The main short-term predictions are summarized below:
The graphs above visualize the estimated short-term increase in global depression prevalence and suicide rates. The left figure shows depression rising from roughly 5.7% in 2025 to around 7.5% after 10 years without entertainment. The right figure shows suicide rates increasing from about 9.2 to around 12 per 100,000 people over the same period (both values based on the author’s scenario projections).
In short, the next decade would likely see a worsening situation that could be described as a mental-health crisis. Governments would need to secure medical resources to cope with surging psychiatric disorders, while social welfare costs would skyrocket. People’s life satisfaction would drop sharply, and a stagnant, insular social atmosphere could become widespread.
Long-Term Impacts (Next 1,000 Years)
Now assume that humanity lives without any form of games or entertainment—digital or analog—until around the year 3000. Over this ultra-long period, the very structure of human society could undergo fundamental transformation. If dozens of generations live without entertainment, people’s psychological makeup and cultural systems would likely change dramatically. Several scenarios can be envisioned:
Chronic, Widespread Mental Illness:
If a stress-filled society without entertainment persists for centuries, depression, anxiety disorders, and related conditions could become widespread and persistent. By the year 3000, humanity may enter a “dark age of the mind,” in which the majority of people suffer some form of psychological dysfunction. The prevalence of depressive states could be several times higher than today—possibly exceeding 15%—as a normalized condition.
Although humans might adapt by evolving to suppress emotional responses, such adaptation would likely diminish creativity and the capacity to feel joy, altering the species fundamentally.
Significant Rise in Suicide and Demographic Impact:
Long-term loss of hope may result in suicide becoming one of the leading causes of death across all age groups. Even today, suicide is the third-leading cause of death among people aged 15–29 [31]. In a millennium without entertainment, suicide could rank at the top for all ages, with a dystopian scenario in which a significant portion of the population dies by suicide before reaching age 50.
Consequently, population growth may stagnate or decline. In the worst case, birth rates may fall—if life offers no joy, the desire to raise children may diminish—potentially threatening the long-term survival of civilization itself.
Extremization of Social Structures:
In a world devoid of entertainment, people’s attention would shift almost exclusively toward survival and governance. Over centuries, this could lead to the emergence of highly authoritarian societies. Historically, strict religious fundamentalist regimes and dictatorships have banned entertainment as “degenerate,” and similar systems could become entrenched on a global scale.
Daily life might revolve solely around labor and ritual, with no space for creative or leisure-oriented gatherings—a suffocatingly controlled society that persists for 1,000 years. While such societies might maintain stability, humanity’s humor, playfulness, and emotional richness would be significantly diminished. Periodic revolts or wars might occur as people can no longer tolerate repression, and without entertainment as a “pressure valve,” conflicts could become even more violent.
Stagnation of Culture and Technology:
Entertainment has historically stimulated scientific and technological advancement. The development and spread of computers and the internet were driven heavily by entertainment demand. Without entertainment, motivation for innovation would weaken, and both culture and science may stagnate. Humanity could lose creativity and curiosity, producing few new inventions or artistic works. It is possible that even after 1,000 years, technological levels might remain similar to those today, with a uniform and emotionally barren way of life.
Rise of Non-Entertainment Substitutes:
Since the instinctual human desire for play and pleasure cannot fully disappear, people might seek alternative outlets. Over a millennium, dangerous forms of pleasure—drug abuse, violent impulses, or other harmful behaviors—could spread as substitutes for entertainment.
Indeed, in confined environments with limited entertainment, such as prisons, drug use and gambling often proliferate. If society as a whole is deprived of entertainment, more individuals may turn to antisocial behaviors in search of stimulation, leading to a long-term decline in public safety.
Others might escape into fantasy or delusion. Combined with an increase in mental disorders, the boundary between imagination and reality could blur, altering the psychological structure of humanity itself.
Taken together, over a 1,000-year span, the disappearance of games and entertainment could impose profound negative impacts on human society, ultimately draining civilization of vitality and eroding core aspects of humanity. Of course, it is possible that humans would develop alternative forms of culture—such as philosophical dialogue or religious rituals—to fill the void left by entertainment. However, even then, the diversity and creativity of mental life enjoyed today would be greatly limited.
Genetic adaptation could also occur over such a long period. Humans might evolve to weaken their reward-system cravings to survive in an entertainment-less environment. Yet that would also mean transforming into a species with diminished capacity for joy and excitement.
In summary, the long-term scenario is defined by two key themes: “mental desolation” and “civilizational stagnation.” The main short-term and long-term impacts are compared below.
Conclusion
Throughout human history, entertainment—such as games, films, and novels—has served as “nourishment for the mind,” helping people overcome various psychological hardships, including depression, loneliness, and war-related trauma. Numerous studies support these effects, showing that entertainment can cut depressive symptoms in half, reduce feelings of loneliness, and increase overall well-being [3][13][18]. Conversely, if entertainment were lost, our mental health would deteriorate rapidly, and the bonds and vitality of society would weaken. In the short term, this would mean widespread mental illness and rising suicide rates; in the long term, it could lead to loss of humanity and cultural stagnation.
Fortunately, in the modern era, entertainment has diversified and become more accessible thanks to technological advances, allowing more people to benefit from it. During the COVID-19 pandemic, for example, online games and video streaming helped ease isolation and supported the mental health of many. Moving forward, we must view games and entertainment not as luxuries but as essential “mental infrastructure,” and promote their healthy development and use. There are indeed lives and smiles saved by the presence of entertainment. Understanding and leveraging this historically proven power will be key to preserving humanity’s psychological richness and securing a sustainable future.
References and Sources:
Citations from various academic papers and reports (numbers shown in 【 】 in the main text correspond to the respective sources):
• Reduction of depressive symptoms through casual games 【2】
• SPARX game-therapy study 【5】
• Research on cultural activities and depression risk 【32】
• Board-game intervention studies 【9】
• Entertainment and soldiers’ mental health 【26】
• Psychological effects of film viewing 【14】【17】
• WHO statistical data 【36】【34】【37】 and others
[1] [2] How the Great Depression Became a Golden Age for Board Games | HISTORY
[3] [4] [5] [6] Study: Casual video games demonstrate ability to reduce depression and anxiety | News Services | ECU
[7] [8] Beck Institute | SPARX: A New and Effective Computerized, CBT Self-Help Intervention for Depression – Beck Institute
[9] NDT-152747-comparative-efficacy-and-acceptability-of-bibliotherapy-for-
[10] RACGP – Bibliotherapy for depression
[11] [12] Depressive disorder (depression)
[13] Regular cinema trips could help guard against depression in old age, study claims | The Independent | The Independent
[14] [15] Why watching a movie could improve wellbeing | UCL Faculty of Brain Sciences
[16] [17] Now Showing: New Research Reveals The Benefits of Cinema
[18] [19] [20] [21] Frontiers | Aging with board games: fostering well-being in the older population
[22] [23] [24] [25] [26] Role to play in mental well-being of troops | The British Forces Foundation BFF
[27] The Psychological Benefits of Watching Movies | Invisible Illness
[28] [29] COVID-19 pandemic triggers 25% increase in prevalence of anxiety and depression worldwide
[30] List of countries by suicide rate – Wikipedia
[31] Suicide – World Health Organization (WHO)