97% of American Kids Play Video Games. Duh.
September 17th 2008 by Dr.MOZ in Parenting, Tech and Web
Researchers at the Pew Internet & American Life Project released a national survey yesterday (to report pdf) which found what parents across America probably already knew. Nearly all (97%) of American teens between 12 and 17 play video games. I know…I was sure that only 96% played video games, but numbers don’t lie. Other shocking statistics from the survey:
- 99% boys and 94% girls play video games with little to no variation across socioeconomic groups
- Three-quarters of teens report that they play with others at least some of the time
- 5 most popular games include a variety of genres: #1 Guitar Hero (Rhythm), #2 Halo (First-Person Shooters), #3 Madden NFL (Sports), #4 Solitaire (Puzzle), #5 Dance Dance Revolution (Rhythm)
- 72% of parents say they “always” or “sometimes” check the ratings before their children are allowed to play a game
- 62% of parents say that video games have no effect on their children one way or the other
- 31% of parents report that they “always” or “sometimes” play along with their children
I can’t say that I’m surprised that a third of parents play video games with their kids, I’m just amazed that they are able to learn these newfangled controllers. Do you play
video games with your kids? If so, what are your favorites? Are “newfangled” and “duh” actually words? What kind of a blog is this anyway? Please click on the comments button above to tackle these important issues.
Have fun and stay healthy,
Dr.MOZ
September 18th, 2008 at 5:34 am
I can’t say for others, but I don’t allow my young lady to play video/pc games… I’ve noticed that even after an hour’s watching “fox kids” or “jetix” she becomes nervous, behave herself aggressively and it is difficult to calm her down… so, I ALWAYS watch all movies before I let her watching them and make sure that are OK for her age.
September 22nd, 2008 at 3:13 am
I remember reading a story a few years back (sorry, searched for the link, but came up empty) about a study that began in the early 80′s and concluded around 2000. The study basically showed that pre-med and med students that HAD played video games in their childhood had far more hand eye and remote surgery skills than those that did not. So while many may jump up and down about the corruption of children via video games, scientifically speaking, they are actually an advantage in later life.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:41 am
I play games with my 9 year old son from time to time. We usually play Madden Football, Warcraft (a medieval game featuring Orcs, Humans, Elves and the Undead fighting each other with a variety of spells, swords, knives and other weapons.), Quake (similar to Halo, but better in my opinion), Twisted Metal and other various Action, Racing, Adventure, Sports games. It’s hard to limit the playing time as I get caught up in the fun as well, but these games can take up too much of your time that could be better spent elsewhere.
September 29th, 2008 at 1:47 am
I find nothing wrong with those numbers, as long as video gaming is done in moderation. Parents should also watch what their kids are playing closely. I’m quite fond of Wii, since it offers a variety of interaction compared to other consoles. Take for example Wii Fit. Would love to try that out!
September 30th, 2008 at 12:35 am
I don’t doubt those statistics, I’m 30 years old and not really considered a kid any more and I still play video games. So if an old man plays games I don’t doubt that kids will. The problem is that these days kids seem to spend too much time playing video games. Oh well.
Speaking of games, here is some information on the latest game from zipper interactive.
MAG: Massive Action Game Information
October 9th, 2008 at 2:39 am
This is not a very surprising news for me. I would have been surprised if ti is not .
Anyway thanks for the information!!
October 26th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
i want my daughter to have fun – but she needs fresh air. i used to love to play outside when i was young as long as it wasn’t too hot.
January 2nd, 2009 at 7:56 pm
This is no big surprise.
February 3rd, 2009 at 9:08 am
I’ve got to say that my husband and I are probably part of the minority in the way that we only allow any computer or video games no more than one hour a day if that. We feel it just kills brain cells and we’d much rather see them play outside and get some exercise rather than stationary in front of a box.