🎮 Playing Mario Odyssey may reduce depression

It’s Thursday, December 28 — people are talking about how playing Mario Odyssey may reduce depression, the pros and cons of Dry January, and more.

As always, we’ve summarized and organized the different shades of perspective, so you can see the big picture quickly. Here at Shades we believe that seeing multiple points of view is the best way to stay informed.

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- Jeff (co-founder of Shades)

🎮 Playing Mario Odyssey may reduce depression

Playing Super Mario Odyssey might be more than just fun — a new German study says it slashes depression symptoms.

🎮 PsyPost: Depression can be debilitating. But video games may ease the pain — a German study found that playing Super Mario Odyssey cut depression rates, improving mood and cognitive function in depressed individuals.

🎮 GoNintendo was astounded. People who played Odyssey saw their depression drop by 50% compared to other treatments!

🎮 Dexerto: No surprise here. Super Mario Odyssey is an outrageously fun game — now there's even more incentive to go back and play again.

🎮 Men's Journal agrees that the study is awesome, but notes some limitations: It was a non-blinded study, and had a small sample size.

🚱 Is Dry January a good idea?

Dry January is polarizing: Some say it's a wellness win, while others call it overhyped. Or maybe “Damp January” is a better alternative?

🚱 Considering a booze-free start to the year? The NYT says Dry January can be a mental and physical reset. But success requires strategy.

🚱 WCAX agrees: Taking a break from booze boosts overall wellness, and it resets your drinking habits.

🚱 But Thrillist disagrees: Dry January is a futile gesture. A single month off of booze won't offset year-round habits.

🚱 On the other hand, WaPo suggests “Damp January”, a modest reduction in drinking. It's a flexible way to improve health without full abstinence.

Quick hits

💰 The Powerball jackpot is up to $760 million. No one has won the grand prize since October 11th. (CNN)

🇺🇦 The Biden administration announced a $250m Ukraine aid package. It's the last one Ukraine will receive in 2023. (CBS News)

🏛️ Michigan's Supreme Court struck down a ballot disqualification bid for Trump. (BBC)

🏀 The NBA Board of Governors voted to approve the sale of a majority stake of the Dallas Mavericks. (Fox Business)