By Gavin Boyle
Lots of parents struggle to get their kids outside, but they don’t understand that many of the activities kids used to enjoy are no longer available, meaning they turn to indoor activities instead.
“During the pandemic, we saw a surge in incidental players who added gaming to their routines as public activities were put on hold; however, since then, many of these players have reversed course as life has returned to normal,” said Circana, a research company, after conducting a study on video game popularity.
While the uptick in video game use during the pandemic makes sense – people were forced to stay inside for months – many parents do not understand that the lack of other options to pass time continues to drive video game popularity. Many parents encourage their kids to get outside and go on adventures, while at the same time chastising them for engaging in “dangerous” activities such as crossing the street or straying too far from home. The rules of parenting have changed in the last two decades, and the response from children has been to move inside and play video games instead.
At the same time, children who do attempt to fill their time with activities other than video games find it harder and harder to do so. This is because there are fewer places people can go for free or low cost fun. For example, the arcades and roller rinks of the past are all gone, and even outdoor parks are becoming increasingly rare. Thus, children simply have no place to go and migrate towards video games instead.
Eighty-five percent of all teens now play video games and the majority do so with their friends. Video games have become the new place for children and teens to hang out outside of school and spend time with others.
This shift, however, has come at a cost as many now face addictions that are difficult to beat. The WHO officially identified gaming addiction as a real disorder, and as many as 8.5% of all kids now struggle with the affliction.
Related: How Popular are Video Games Really?
“I see why the older generations look down on people that are addicted to gaming. But they’ve never faced anything like this where it’s literally designed to keep you engaged and keep you coming back,” said Logan Visser, a young man who struggled with gaming addiction in the past.
“Gaming just took over. I was completely wasting my life,” he added. “I wanted to keep getting better at this thing that doesn’t even matter.”
While gaming has taken over the lives of millions of people, there is hope for a better future.
Those who are struggling with gaming addiction can now find help from psychologists, while at the same time, parents are becoming more aware of just how addictive the technology can be and are changing the rules for their child’s engagement with the tech.
However, parents need to be aware that kids are not really to blame for their high video game use; not only is the technology addictive, but it is often the only pastime easily available.
Read Next: Can You Beat a Gaming Addiction?
Questions or comments? Please write to us here.
- Content: +3Share:
- Content: +2