# Gamer Health and Balance Part of the Competitive Gaming Merit Badge Digital Resource Guide: [Introduction & Overview](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/index.md) *3. Health and Balance* > **3.** Do the following: This requirement runs on real data — your own. Over the next few sections, you'll research what the science actually says about gaming's effects, then spend two weeks tracking three things about yourself: how much you game, how much you move, and how much you sleep. Requirements 3b, 3c, and 3d all happen during that same two-week window, so plan to track all three at once rather than doing them one after another. ## Requirement 3a > **3a.** Read two credible articles describing positive aspects of video gaming and two describing negative aspects. Create a chart showing where the articles agree or disagree. Gaming research is more nuanced than "good" or "bad" headlines suggest. Some studies link gaming to improved reaction time, problem-solving, and even social connection. Others link heavy gaming to sleep disruption, reduced physical activity, and attention problems. Both can be true — the effect often depends on *how much*, *what kind* of game, and *what else* gaming is replacing in your day. > **Did You Know?** > > Some competitive gamers train reaction time and hand-eye coordination to a level that researchers have compared to elite athletes — one widely cited study found professional *StarCraft* players executing over 300 actions per minute during intense matches. As you read your four articles, build a simple comparison chart: list each article's main claim, whether it's framed as a benefit or a risk, and whether the other articles support or contradict it. A chart like this makes it easy to spot where the real scientific disagreement lies — which is usually more interesting than any single article's headline. Download: [Gamer Balance Worksheet](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/gamer-balance-worksheet/) ## Official Resources [The Surprising Benefits of Video Games (website)](https://www.popsci.com/health/video-game-benefits/): A science-journalism look at cognitive and social benefits linked to gaming. [Are Video Games Good for You? (website)](https://health.clevelandclinic.org/are-video-games-good-for-you): A medical perspective weighing both benefits and risks of regular gaming. [How Video Games Can Level Up the Way You Learn (video)](https://www.ted.com/talks/kris_alexander_how_video_games_can_level_up_the_way_you_learn): A TED Talk on how gaming can support learning and problem-solving skills. [How Video Games Affect Kids' Behavioral Health: The Hidden Risks (website)](https://www.kidsvillepeds.com/blog/1290873-how-video-games-affect-kids-behavioral-health-the-hidden-risks/): A pediatric perspective on behavioral health risks tied to excessive gaming. [Effects of Video Games on Teen Mental Health (website)](https://www.brightpathbh.com/effects-of-video-games-on-teen-mental-health/): Explores links between gaming habits and teen mental health outcomes. [What Is the Link Between Screen Time and ADHD? (PDF)](https://www.sciencejournalforkids.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/screentime-ADHD_Article.pdf): A kid-friendly breakdown of research on screen time and attention, adapted from peer-reviewed studies. ## Requirement 3b > **3b.** Track the amount of gaming you do each day for two weeks. Record and summarize your results. This is where the two-week tracking window starts. Every day, log how long you spent gaming — console, PC, or mobile, it all counts. You can track by hand with the worksheet above, or use a screen-time tool built into your device or console. > **Tip** > > Track your time the same day you play it. Trying to remember two weeks of gaming sessions from memory at the end is a lot less accurate than jotting it down right after you log off. At the end of the two weeks, summarize what you find: What was your daily average? Was there a day that was way higher or lower than the rest — and do you know why? ## Official Resources [ActivityWatch (website)](https://activitywatch.net/): A free, open-source tool that automatically tracks how much time you spend in different applications, including games. ## Requirement 3c > **3c.** Track your daily physical activity for the same two weeks. Compare your results to the CDC recommendation of one hour of moderate-to-vigorous activity per day for youth ages 6-17. Run this tracking log alongside Req 3b, for the exact same two weeks. "Moderate-to-vigorous activity" means anything that gets your heart rate up — a bike ride, a pickup basketball game, a Scout hike, even a brisk walk to school. It doesn't have to be organized sports. > **Safety First!** > > If you're starting a new activity routine specifically to hit the CDC recommendation, build up gradually rather than trying to make up for two sedentary weeks in a single day. Sudden jumps in activity level are how overuse injuries happen. When you compare your results to the CDC's one-hour target, be honest about the gap either way — the point of this requirement is awareness, not a perfect score. ## Official Resources [My Physical Activity Diary (website)](https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/pdf/physical_activity_diary_cdc.pdf): An official CDC diary template for logging daily physical activity. ## Requirement 3d > **3d.** Track your daily sleep for the same two weeks. Compare your results to the CDC recommendation of 9-12 hours for ages 6-12 and 8-10 hours for ages 13-18. Sleep is the tracking log most Scouts underestimate — and the one most affected by gaming, since a "just one more round" mentality is easy to lose track of late at night. Log your actual bedtime and wake time each day, not the time you planned to go to sleep. > **Did You Know?** > > Screens emit blue light that can delay your body's release of melatonin, the hormone that makes you feel sleepy — which is part of why a late gaming session can leave you wide awake even after you finally put the controller down. Once your two weeks are up, compare your nightly average to the CDC range for your age. In Req 3e, you'll use this comparison — along with your gaming and activity logs — to build something you can actually act on. ## Official Resources [Teen Sleep Diary (PDF)](https://thesleepcharity.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/The-Sleep-Charity-Teens-Sleep-Diary.pdf): A printable sleep diary designed specifically for teens tracking their own sleep patterns. ## Requirement 3e > **3e.** After completing 3(b), 3(c), and 3(d), create a one-week balanced schedule that includes healthy sleep, physical activity, and agreed-upon gaming time. Follow this schedule and summarize your results. Now put your three tracking logs to work. Look at your gaming, activity, and sleep summaries side by side and identify where the imbalance actually is — maybe gaming isn't the problem at all, and the real issue is a late bedtime on weekends. Build your one-week schedule around fixing what your own data shows, not just cutting gaming time by default. > **Tip** > > Build this schedule *with* a parent or guardian, not just for them to approve afterward. "Agreed-upon gaming time" works a lot better when everyone helped set the number. Use the schedule section of your worksheet to plan the week, then track what actually happened each day. A schedule you mostly follow, with an honest note about where it slipped, is more useful to your counselor than a perfect plan you can't back up. ## Official Resources [Weekly Activity Schedule (website)](https://www.cci.health.wa.gov.au/~/media/CCI/Mental-Health-Professionals/Depression/Depression-Worksheets/Depression-Worksheet---03---Weekly-Activity-Schedule.pdf): A clinical weekly-schedule template that can be adapted to balance gaming, activity, and sleep. You've looked inward at your own habits. Requirement 4 turns back outward — toward staying safe and connected while you play. --- - Previous: [Living the Scout Oath and Law Online](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/req2/index.md) - Next: [Gamer Safety and Community Connection](https://merit-badge.university/merit-badges/competitive-gaming/guide/req4/index.md)