Videogames, health, human relations and addiction. What does the scientific evidence say?

The use of video games leads to conflicting views regarding their benefits or harmful effects on mental health, addiction and human relations. Currently, Gaming Disorder appears in the diagnostic classifications of the WHO (ICD-11) and the APA (Section III of the DSM-5), which shows the scope of this issue. This paper aims to analyse the scientific literature from 2016 to 2020, from a dual perspective, to highlight the trend of the studies and shed light on the effects of the use of video games in minors. A bibliometric and content study was carried out using the Scopus database, identifying 1,519 references, of which 151 were used for the bibliometric study and the 98 available in open access for the content analysis. The results show that, in general, they cannot be said to have negative effects as such, although the studies agree that they can lead to problematic use, and that is why adequate supervision is required by responsible adults. The polarisation of studies is concluded, pointing out both the positive and negative effects of video games.