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Want to feel happier? Watch Spirited Away or play Zelda, new study says
Studio Ghibli films and games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild can boost calm, purpose and happiness, a new study suggests
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Why you can trust SCMP
Can watching a film actually make you feel calmer, more optimistic and even more purposeful?
Science says yes – and Spirited Away might be one of those films that do exactly that.
A new study published in JMIR Serious Games, a peer-reviewed journal exploring how entertainment and interactive media affect well-being, revealed that certain forms of media, like Studio Ghibli films and video games such as The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild, can significantly boost happiness and life satisfaction.
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Researchers from Imperial College London in Britain, Kyushu Sangyo University in Japan and Georgia State University in the United States examined 518 postgraduate students. Participants were asked to either watch Studio Ghibli films, play Breath of the Wild or do neither.
When the results came in, those who engaged with these activities reported higher levels of calm, purpose and overall happiness. Interestingly, participants who watched a Studio Ghibli film before or after playing the game experienced the greatest mood boost.
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