Feeling isolated? You're not alone. The World Health Organization (WHO) is diving deep into the impact of digital play, like video games, on our social health. This isn't about finding definitive answers, but about starting a crucial conversation. Let's explore how digital worlds affect our well-being and connections.
This is an invitation to a public webinar titled "Social Health and Digital Play: A Conversation, Not a Conclusion."
Mark your calendars:
* Date: Wednesday, January 14, 2026
* Time: 16:00–17:15 CET
* Location: Virtual
Digital play is a massive part of modern life. Video games, in particular, have become significant cultural and social spaces. The WHO recognizes this and is examining how these digital environments interact with our social health, alongside physical and mental well-being.
Why is this important? To build healthier digital environments, we need to understand how digital play affects us. The webinar, organized by the WHO’s Frontier Technologies and AI Unit with support from the social connection team, aims to bring global attention to social connection as a key determinant of health.
This isn't a debate, but a collaborative exploration. The webinar seeks to:
- Share insights from the WHO's work on social connection and the role of digital technologies, including video games.
- Place social health alongside physical and mental health when considering the benefits and harms of video games.
- Discuss the broader public health implications of video games, including physical activity, mental health, gaming disorders, and commercial influences.
- Identify questions, gaps, and ideas for future research and policy.
Background Check:
In June 2025, the WHO Commission on Social Connection released a landmark report highlighting social isolation and loneliness as major public health issues. The report notes that while concerns about digital technologies are growing, the evidence on their impact on social connection, especially regarding video games, is still limited. Other initiatives, such as a Lancet Commission investigation and the WHO's inclusion of gaming disorder in the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11), are also underway.
Video games are a huge deal. They represent one of the largest digital communities and industries globally, and their influence is only growing. This growth demands rigorous scientific research into how video games affect our health and well-being. New technologies like virtual reality and artificial intelligence further complicate the picture, potentially increasing both opportunities and risks.
But here's where it gets controversial... The webinar will delve into how different stakeholders can contribute to our understanding of healthy digital play. This includes enhancing the potential benefits and reducing the risks, using population-based prevention strategies, and considering lessons from commercial determinants of health and mental health frameworks.
As the WHO aims to meet people where they are, including in digital spaces, this webinar is part of a broader effort to explore the intersection of video games, their communities, and the commercial interests of the video game industry. It's about understanding how these elements benefit or harm health and social connection, and what this means for future approaches to health and well-being.
And this is the part most people miss... The goal is not to find easy answers, but to open a dialogue and explore the implications of existing and emerging evidence.
What are your thoughts? Do you think digital play enhances or hinders social connection? What role should the WHO and other organizations play in shaping healthy digital environments? Share your opinions in the comments below!
