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Health

Phone game lowers social anxiety by shifting focus on to the positive

The game, called StarStarter, rewards players for directing their attention away from negative stimuli and towards positive ones

By Christa Lesté-Lasserre

22 April 2025

The StarStarter game

StarStarter is a game that gives points when players avoid angry faces and focus on smiley ones

Arcade Therapeutics

People with social anxiety may find relief in a smartphone game that helps shift their attention away from intimidating or negative cues towards positive ones. Researchers found that playing it several times a week significantly reduced social anxiety scores compared with using a sham version.

Brief, game-based therapies like this can fill major gaps in public access to mental health treatments, says Tracy Dennis-Tiwary at The City University of New York.

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