Mental Wellbeing

Online Art Viewing Can Improve Well-Being

untitled by Barbara Zandoval

untitled by Barbara Zandoval

Researchers have been asking the question, "Can we get a similar psychological impact from the arts virtually as we do in the "real world?" for some time. There have always been inequities when it comes to accessibility of historical art objects that are located around the world, and that very few people get to experience in person. But, this issue became even more important during COVID when we were not able to visit museums and galleries. This study offers new insights on the impact of virtual viewing. Surprisingly, the results showed significant benefits, equal to being in nature or other physical arts and aesthetic experiences.

"A new study by psychologists led by MacKenzie Trupp, and Matthew Pelowski investigated whether engaging with art online also has this effect.

Their conclusion: a short three-minute visit to an online art or cultural exhibition also shows significant positive effects on subjective well-being.

In the first wave of the COVID 19 pandemic, arts and cultural institutions quickly shifted from stationary buildings to the Internet. For the first time, digital museums and online art galleries became the focus of public attention... Read more in Neuroscience News"