How gaming and streaming can help your head: The Lowdown

Gaming. It’s all about share-size bags of Doritos and gaming alone in the middle of the night. Right? Wrong.

As well as being a £7.1 billion industry with around 3 billion gamers across the globe, in 2022, gaming and streaming are spaces for getting together with mates, relaxing, and even discovering new interests. Who says so? Gamers and streamers themselves.

Our research shows gamers and streamers use gaming for loads of proper good things, with 50% saying it’s a way to relax, and 42% saying switching on a stream or a game is a way to escape from daily life. Ace.

So why the stereotype from 1989? The media has a lot to answer for - regularly heroing gaming and gamers as fringe, childish or anti-social. Which is probably why around a quarter of people* still consider gamers and streamers unhealthy (24%) or lonely (25%).

Things change when you talk to gamers and streamers** though. When we asked them what traits they associate with gamers and streamers, creative and confident topped the list. It’s clear that switching on a stream is fast becoming an accessible way for people to connect and look after their heads. And that’s something we can get behind.

Here at CALM we’re all about doing stuff that makes you feel good. And gaming does exactly that for lots of you. That’s why we believe stereotypes around gaming belong in the bin, alongside all the other unhelpful stereotypes that stop us from looking after and talking about our mental wellbeing.

We’re chuffed to be working with gamers and streamers like The Yogscast and DanTDM to raise awareness in the gaming and streaming community and help more people get the help they need, when they need it.

But don’t just take it from us. Harry Marshall, Head of Network at The Yogscast shared how he has seen the gaming and streaming world go from strength to strength in the last decade.

“Listening to a stream is like having a friend in the room with you while playing a game. For lots of gamers, this gives them somewhere to check in every day — a community to talk to or a place to share how you feel.

“I remember being 12 years old when I made my first online friend, another teenage boy from America. The idea that you can connect with anybody in the world, share your passion with them and make friends, is inconceivable to those who haven’t been able to experience it but it’s happening all over the world, every moment of every day. ”

Gaming and streaming as a way to connect and manage mental wellbeing is a trend that’s happening across the industry. We spoke to Ukie and they said:

"Games play an important and positive role in the lives of players. But persistent, inaccurate and negative stereotypes around games mean many miss the benefits they can offer or inadvertently discourage play that could be having a positive impact on people’s lives.

"Collective efforts like Jingle Jam not only raise money to support great causes such as CALM, but also counter negative stereotypes around games to demonstrate how important they are for players."

And, with an ever-growing audience, it’s more important than ever to make sure that gamers, streamers, and everything in between-ers have the support they need for the good times and the not so good times. That’s why here at CALM we’re working with gamers and streamers to reach anybody who needs us.

CALM's CEO Simon Gunning explains:

“Technology allows us to connect and socialise - and creators like The Yogscast, charity streaming events like The Jingle Jam, and a myriad of other platforms, are also helping normalise conversations about mental health. If we want the devastating suicide rate to decrease, we need to work with communities to tackle the stigma that stops us from opening up and look after each other.”

Agree? Join us. If you want to take a stand against suicide, we've got you. Head to our Stream for CALM page for everything you need to get started. Or, if you need support, our CALM Guides are full of useful stuff for your head, and our helpline and webchat is open every day from 5pm until midnight.