97% of American teens ages 12-17 play some kind of video game.
99% of boys say they are gamers and 94% of girls report that they play games.
A typical teen plays at least five different types of games
40% of them play eight or more different game types.
While some teens play violent video games, those who do generally also play non-violent games.
76% of gaming teens play games with others at least some of the time.
82% play games alone at least occasionally, though 71% of this group also plays games with others.
65% of gaming teens play with others in the same room.76% of youth report helping others while gaming.
“The stereotype that gaming is a solitary, violent, anti-social activity just doesn’t hold up. The average teen plays all different kinds of games and generally plays them with friends and family both online and offline,” said Amanda Lenhart, author of a report on the survey and a Senior Research Specialist with the Pew Internet & American Life Project, which conducted the survey. “Gaming is a ubiquitous part of life for both boys and girls. For most teens, gaming runs the spectrum from blow-‘em-up mayhem to building communities; from cute-and-simple to complex; from brief private sessions to hours’ long interactions with masses of others.”
On the subject of ratings, and age-appropriate gaming the report found that:
32% of kids aged 12-16 play games that are listed as appropriate only for people older than they are.
32% of gaming teens report that at least one of their favorite games is rated Mature or Adults Only.
12-14 year olds are equally as likely to play Mature and Adults Only rated games as their 15-17 year old counterparts.
While the responses tackling Mature games are probably to be expected (what kids don’t aspire up to things intended for those older than they are?) the note about Adults Only games gave us pause. There are currently only 23 games that have ever been given the AO rating by the ESRB, and the current console and retail situation means that it’s very difficult to even find these products. What They Play has a feature about the Adults Only rating that can be found here. It seems more likely that the “Adults Only” content cited in the report refers to anecdotal comments about games, rather than the specific rating.
When it comes to the parents surveyed in the report:
90% of parents say they always or sometimes know what games their children play.
72% say they always or sometimes check the ratings before their children are allowed to play a game.
62% of parents of gamers say video games have no effect on their child.
19% of parents of gamers say video games have a positive influence on their child.
13% of parents of gamers say video games have a negative influence on their child.
5% of parents of gamers say gaming has some negative influence/some positive influence, but it depends on the game.
