If you think video games are solitary, antisocial endeavors, a new study indicates otherwise. Released Tuesday, the survey from the Pew Internet & American Life Project reported that 76 percent of teenage gamers play with others online at least some of the time, with 65 percent playing with others in the same room.
But this doesn’t mean gamers are always in social mode — 82 percent play games by themselves, at least occasionally.
Solitary ‘Doesn’t Hold Up’
Amanda Lenhart, a senior research specialist for Pew, said the “stereotype that gaming is a solitary, violent, antisocial activity just doesn’t hold up.” She added that the “average teen plays all different kinds of games and generally plays them with friends and family, both online and offline.”
The study surveyed 1,102 Americans aged 12 to 17. It found that gaming is one thing nearly all of them have in common, with 97 percent of teens in that age group playing some kind of video game, and at least half playing a game on any given day. Among boys, game playing is nearly universal, with 99 percent saying they are gamers. About 94 percent of girls say the same.
The types of games are diverse, according to the Pew study. Most teens play at least five different kinds of games, such as action, adventure, racing, puzzle and sports. About 40 percent play eight or more different game types, and even those who play violent games also usually indulge in nonviolent ones.
Lenhart said gaming for most teens can range anywhere from “blow-’em-up mayhem to building communities,” from “cute and simple to complex,” and from “brief private sessions to hours’ long interactions with masses of others.”
If any kids are reading this, here’s the part that should really win your parents over. The Pew study also found that games can “incorporate many…