Study shoes videogaamers have richer, better lives

So often seen as the exclusive haunt of hormonal and reclusive teenagers, videogames could well be seen in a whole new light after new studies revealed that games players have great family interaction, enjoy better social lives, and even make more money than those who avoid the popular pastime.
The findings of the studies, one emanating from Canada and one from America, fly in the face of typical stereotypes portraying gamers as overweight teenage couch potatoes leading a largely sedentary lifestyle while wholly devoted to their console of choice.
Some of the statistics unearthed by the Entertainment Software Association of Canada study suggest that one in two Canadians is a gamer and has actively played a software title within the last month, while half of the country’s game-playing demographic is female, over 80 percent indulge in a world of videogames for around 7.1 hours per week, and the average age of a Canadian gamer is actually 40.
“Family gaming is becoming a big part of Canadian families’ pastime. Mom, dad and the kids are all playing together,” enthused Nicole Helsburg, spokeswoman for the Entertainment Software Association of Canada. “Those who grew up playing games have taken that into their adult lives and are now embracing that as a way to spend time with their kids.”
Similarly, an American study conducted by Ipsos MediaCT on behalf of leading videogame Web site IGN concluded that some 55 percent of those polled were married, while 48 percent had children, and 57 percent of parents played videogames on a regular basis with the children, reports the Ottawa Citizen.
And, when separated from the game pad and/or keyboard, the American study found that young and single gamers are considerably more socially active than those who do not game. Specifically, unattached gamers players are twice as likely to be dating, are almost 10 percent more likely to be spending time with their friends, and 11 percent more inclined to partake in sporting activities.
Perhaps surprisingly given gaming preconceptions, the American study discovered that regular videogames players also matched those who do not game when it comes to the time per week they spend with their heads in a good book.
From a professional standpoint, the study also revealed that the average income of a U.S. household closely associated with videogame entertainment is around $79,000 USD, while households without videogame access make approximately $55,000 USD.
According to Adam Wright, director of research for Ipsos MediaCT, its study “underscores the fact that gaming has become a mainstream medium in this country that appeals to people from all walks of life.”
The Entertainment Software Association of Canada study was conducted across 652 Canadian adults and 100 children aged between six and 13. The two-stage IGN study covered both online and single-player respondents and was spread across more than 3,000 American citizens.