Dr Pete Etchells
Pete is a professor of psychology at Bath Spa University. His research focuses on how playing video games affect our mood and behaviour. He’s the author of Lost in a Good Game and is currently researching whether game mechanics can encourage gambling behaviour in other parts of life.
Recent articles by Dr Pete Etchells
Child depression rates are skyrocketing - but social media isn’t to blame. Here’s why
It’s tempting to think that our digital lives on TikTok, Instagram and Snapchat are the cause of a child mental health crisis. But there might be something altogether more analogue going on, argues Prof Pete Etchells.
Does playing video games make you smarter?
Games don’t rot your brains. In fact, they might be sharpening your cognitive faculties, according to an unprecedented, two-year study published earlier this year.
Don’t feel guilty about playing video games during lockdown
Play is an important part of life, even for adults - it's not the 'junk food' of entertainment.
“Life as a scientist is marked by constant anxiety”: The side of science we don’t talk about
In the news, you only see the dazzling results of a scientific study – but it's a long road to get to that point, says Dr Pete Etchells.
Why we need to stop loot boxes from becoming another moral panic
At face value, loot boxes look like a digital form of gambling. But what are loot boxes? What effect do they have on us? And should we panic over them?
Reality Check | Why are so many people playing Animal Crossing?
It sold more digital units in its first month of release than any other video game in history. What makes Animal Crossing: New Horizons such a compelling game to play?
Reality Check | The benefits of video games: why screen time isn't always bad
How much screen time is too much? As Dr Pete Etchells explains, that depends on what you're doing.