Is Wordle ruining our mental health?

Six tries to guess five letters that make up a word. The simple premise that became a global sensation first emerged as a way to distract us from the stress that was happening around us while we were confined to our homes during the pandemic. But even though Wordle and countless other phone and Internet games offered respite for some, not everyone found the games as comforting or as simple as they seemed.

Over the years, games have become an integral part of the daily routine of many, whether it’s trying to solve the puzzle first thing in the morning or completing it during a free moment while getting ready for bed.

Perhaps the most popular game is Wordle, which the public began playing in October 2021, but which the creator, Josh Wardle, sold at The New York Times in January 2022. The game asks players to guess a five-letter word in six tries and they receive feedback after each attempt to guess the word correctly. Green tiles indicate whether the letter is in the correct place, yellow tiles indicate the letter is in the word but not in the correct place, and a gray tile means the letter is not in the word at all.

However, a recent report from Daily Beast suggested the New York Times games, including Connections and Mini Crossword, can harm our mental health more than they help it. The outlet spoke with mental health professionals who explained the downsides of gaming and how the need to complete or win each daily iteration can interfere with our lives.

Dr. Clifford Sussman, a Washington psychiatrist who specializes in Internet and video game addiction, told the outlet in the report that “our brains have not evolved to keep up with technology.”

“Today’s technology is basically a shortcut to everything and our brains can’t resist it. And the shortcut to a feeling of accomplishment by playing one of these online games releases dopamine in the brain. The pursuit of dopamine release could lead to compulsive and sometimes problematic behaviors,” he said.

Meanwhile, New York psychologist Jennifer Gittleman told the outlet that she encountered patients in her office who mentioned not being able to complete their daily tasks due to the amount of time they spent playing games .

Many users even took to X, formerly known as Twitter, to discuss Wordle’s impact on their own mental health. Although many have joked about the impact the loss can have on their day, for others the outcome is actually difficult to deal with.

“I just lost Wordle today. (I’ll be right back) I need to have a mental health day,” he said. Tweeter read.

Another individual wrote: “I’m taking a break from Wordle to focus on my mental health.”

Some people even took to the platform to admit that gaming was becoming a discussion during scheduled sessions with therapists.

“Therapist: Teagsy, how is your mental health? Me: Well, I got the Wordle in three tries yesterday, “one example on relayed.

According to Thriveworks licensed therapist Hallie Kritsas, who is an avid Wordle player herself, she has encountered clients who needed to talk about the game during their sessions.

Kritsas said The independent that it’s usually her younger clients, who often suffer from anxiety or perfectionism, that pose a problem for Wordle.

“They like to have a structure and they like to have a routine because they have implemented it, and part of the routine when they are not able to successfully complete the Wordle or make connections or solving the mini crosswords in what is considered a timely manner, it just sets them off on the wrong track in their day,” she said.

In some cases, tying Wordle to your sanity goes beyond just taking time out of your day to complete the game, and the focus is more on making sure it’s correct – even if a user has to cheat to solve the problem. he.

“For some people who have a little bit of a higher level of anxiety, not being able to complete it obviously brings some sort of feeling of disappointment that they weren’t able to complete the puzzle,” Kritsas added. “And then if you think, (it becomes), ‘Okay, I couldn’t understand the Wordle, what’s wrong with me?'”

Wordle isn’t the only game that can impact mental health, as Connections, which allows users to make connections between four words to form groups, can also have a detrimental effect, according to Kritsas. She used the example of gambling where the game deliberately tries to trick players with words that seem to go together, which can lead to players blaming themselves for falling for the trick. When people then post their answers in group chats or on social media, it can easily lead to personal comparisons based on how quickly you completed the game or how many tries compared to another person .

For those who think the potential negative effects of gaming on mental health might outweigh the positive aspects of gaming, Kritsas offered some suggestions.

Users can set a time limit for how much time they actually want to spend trying to play each game each day. “Set a time limit that says, ‘I’m only going to give myself five or 10 minutes to do this and if I can’t get it done in that time, or if I don’t finish, it’s over for me.’ .the day,” she suggested.

This concept can be extended to another popular way of spending time on the Internet and social networks. According to California State University, an estimated 10 percent, or 33.19 million Americans, are addicted to social media compared to the average person.

For some people, especially between the ages of 13 and 17, this addiction can have overall negative effects on their mental health, as Statista data shows that of the 1,141 people surveyed, 43% have deleted their social media posts because that they received too little. likes, 43 percent felt bad about themselves if no one liked or commented on their posts, and 35 percent said they had been victims of cyberbullying.

Kritsas also recommends talking to a therapist or loved one if gambling is affecting your mental health. By opening the discussion, players can start to think about alternative, healthier habits they could replace Wordle or other phone games with.

“I think it’s a good thing to use at any time of the day, especially in the morning, to get our brains working, but if it’s going to be harmful, we probably shouldn’t play it,” Kritsas explained.

And, when in doubt, it helps to approach the game thinking that it’s just a game.

“We should just recognize that it’s a game and it’s something that should be fun, and no one will know if we solve the Wordle or if the Connections are solved,” she said.

While it may seem like people experience negative thoughts more frequently while playing Wordle, Kritsas also pointed out that while some of her customers tell her about the game, it’s pretty rare for someone to be negatively affected by it. -time.

“I have a client or two who have talked about it and it’s frustrating and we come in for a session and we say something about a connection we found or something like that, but that’s not everyone ” she said. .

She continued: “I don’t have the overwhelming feeling that this is a huge, huge thing. I think (the games are) very popular. I think most of us do it when we’re at work and on the computer and we have a break, or we have the New York Times application, and have it in our hands. But for the majority, I don’t think it’s as painful as some articles may read.