The Unexpected Benefits of
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Video games have the ability to transport you to a completely different world — but to “non-gamers” that world often looked solitary, isolated, and even obsessive. As game designers have leaned into more connected tech across different devices, like team-based strategy in MMORPGS (massively multiplayer online role playing games), live leaderboards, and even consoles with connected features, the world of gaming may be more social (and beneficial) than it appears. While some single-player games by nature are isolating, many lean into the fact that humans are social creatures, and that playing together is ultimately more fun. And that’s not all — as more and more people have taken up playing video games, the effects researchers are seeing on how we socialize, learn, and even our physical health may be more positive than initial studies indicated. Explore the infographics below to see how gamer society is growing, and shaping how we interact.
How social gaming can benefit mental, physical, and emotional well-being
Dax Gazaway
Introduction to Game Systems Design
Right now, nearly two-thirds of Americans play video games, a number that skyrocketed by nearly 30 percent from 2015 to 2020. With stay-at-home orders in place in 2020 and 2021, existing gamers found themselves playing more, while new gamers joined in on the phenomenon. For many, picking up a controller provided a necessary outlet for stress relief, a much-needed distraction, and a lifeline to social interactions. Games released during the pandemic, such as Animal Crossing and Among Us, created cultural phenomena, where even celebrities, politicians, and influencers were accessible in these online worlds.
The trend isn’t likely to decline as pandemic restrictions ease, either. Most gamers say they will continue to play in their
spare time, and the global gaming industry expects growth to expand in this category by 32% from 2021 to 2025. The category of games expected to see the most expansion? That would be social games, or video games that require social interaction between players, as they appeal to gamers of all ages.
The Online Fitness Market
Games in Class
Socialization isn’t the only benefit researchers have associated with gaming, either. Though video game
research is fairly new, many studies have identified that video games can help us build cognitive skills, increase neuroplasticity, and even improve how the hippocampus functions. Researchers saw these advantages IRL,
too: gamers in their studies could read smaller fonts, drive better in fog, and multitask more effectively.
Teachers have been using video games in the classroom for decades, as early as 1974, when The Oregon Trail was released to market to teach 8th graders about the real life hardships of the Oregon Trail. It turns out, video games don’t need to be deemed “educational” in order to help students learn, either. As many teachers recently adapted lesson plans for virtual learning, games helped keep kids engaged. Game publishers like Microsoft and Ubisoft created networks for teachers to use already popular games like Minecraft and Assassin's Creed to teach lessons around everything from understanding coral reefs to exploring Ancient Greece.
The effects games have on our brains can even help us stay in better shape. One study found that among families, gamifying physical activity (by awarding points for certain activities) helped participants meet activity goals on more days. Competition through virtual leaderboards can help motivate people to work out, and one study found it was even more inspiring than “supportive” online fitness platforms, where users can message and post to others, but not track their progress. While even the most active games may not be a sufficient substitute for a full-on workout, playing a video game was found to be less harmful to your health than sedentary screen time, like binge watching a T.V. show. It’s set to be a lucrative industry too: the online fitness market is already valued at $7.99 billion, and it’s expected to reach nearly $60 billion by 2027.
Where Our Eyes Are Daily
8
How Often Gamers Log On
All of this isn’t to say that some gaming habits can’t become problematic. In 2018, the World Health Organization recognized “gaming disorder” in the International Classification of Diseases, following the American Psychiatric Association’s move to add “internet gaming disorder” as a phenomenon in the DSM-5. In August, China even moved
to drastically limit online gaming for those under 18, in an effort to “combat gaming addiction.”
Because research on gaming is so new, gaming addiction is equally misunderstood. Gaming addiction is defined much like alcohol or drug addiction: if it impairs your control, takes priority and precedence over interests and daily activities, and you continue to game despite negative consequences, it’s considered problematic. Right now, it’s estimated that only 1-3% of gamers are at risk, a percentage that’s much lower than other potentially addicting substances, like alcohol or drugs.
Source 1: Entertainment Software Association / Source 2: The Annie E. Casey Foundation / Source 3: Pew Research Center / Source 4: International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University Study / Source 5: Joan Ganz Cooney Center / Source 6: Statista / Source 7: Statista / Source 8: People Magazine
CREDITS
Written by Christie Rotondo
Designed by Allie Pakrosnis
Hover over each device to view data
Video game designer and Pearson author of
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5,6
1
Click spaceship to view data
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2021
2020
2015
Gamers in the U.S.
1,2
46%
of American adults (age 18+) play video games
Total U.S. video game players
155
million
214
million
227
million
54%
of American kids (under 18) play video games
44%
identify as female
56%
identify as male
41%
identify as female
59%
identify as male
of American kids (under 18) play video games
70%
of American adults (age 18+) play video games
64%
45%
identify as female
55%
identify as male
of American kids (under 18) play video games
76%
of American adults (age 18+) play video games
67%
Breaking Anti-Social Stereotypes
1,3,4
66%
of global MMORPG gamers said they made “good friends” in their games*
*based on a sample of over 900 massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers
72%
of video-gaming girls under 18 play with others in person
91%
of video-gaming boys under 18 play with others in person
63%
of all gamers of all ages play with others
Number of iOS mobile health apps available
2021
2017
2015
2019
28,343
46,024
53,979
45,238
47%
of teachers said low-performing students benefited most from using games
78%
of teachers use games in the classroom
87%
of parents believe games can be educational
Dax Gazaway
1-3 hours per week
29%
Laptops
4.50 hours
T.V.
5.0 hours
4.55 hours
Smartphones
3.2 hours
Gaming Devices
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3+ hours per week
77%
7+ hours per week
51%
Click again to reset
Dax Gazaway
Is the solution cutting back on screen time though? Some researchers say not necessarily. While many experts tout the benefits of a “digital detox” or limiting screen time, there is little research to suggest these practices have any tangible benefit, at all. That’s because screen time isn’t created equal, and all tech isn’t necessarily “bad”: scrolling social media has different effects than chatting with a loved one over text, or connecting with friends over a strategy game.
Ultimately, there’s still much we can learn from video games and a lot to study about their potential effects. The best way to do that, researchers say, will require another shift, too: changing how we quantify and study our screen time to be more holistic, rather than just based on numbers. While we may not yet have a complete understanding of gaming’s impact on how we learn and socialize, what we do know is that it has more positive effects than first suspected.
7
*based on a poll of American adults
Introduction to Game Systems Design
Video game designer and Pearson author of
Introduction to Game Systems Design
Video game designer and Pearson author of
Source 1: Entertainment Software Association / Source 2: The Annie E. Casey Foundation / Source 3: Pew Research Center
Source 4: International Gaming Research Unit, Nottingham Trent University Study / Source 5: Joan Ganz Cooney Center
Source 6: Statista / Source 7: Statista / Source 8: People Magazine
Introduction to Game Systems Design
Video game designer and Pearson author of
Dax Gazaway
Ultimately, there’s still much we can learn
from video games and a lot to study about their potential effects. The best way to do that, researchers say, will require another shift, too: changing how we quantify and study our screen time to be more holistic, rather than just based on numbers. While we may not yet have a complete understanding of gaming’s impact on how we learn and socialize, what
we do know is that it has more positive effects than first suspected.
Is the solution cutting back on screen time though? Some researchers say not necessarily. While many experts tout the benefits of a “digital detox” or limiting screen time, there is little research to suggest these practices have any tangible benefit, at all. That’s because screen time isn’t created equal, and all tech isn’t necessarily “bad”: scrolling social media has different effects than chatting with a loved one over text, or connecting with friends over a strategy game.
Because research on gaming is so new, gaming addiction is equally misunderstood. Gaming addiction is defined much like alcohol or drug addiction: if it impairs your control, takes priority and precedence over interests and daily activities, and you continue to game despite negative consequences, it’s considered problematic. Right now, it’s estimated that only 1-3% of gamers are at risk, a percentage that’s much lower than other potentially addicting substances, like alcohol or drugs.
All of this isn’t to say that some gaming habits can’t become problematic. In 2018, the World Health Organization recognized “gaming disorder” in the International Classification of Diseases, following the American Psychiatric Association’s move to add “internet gaming disorder” as a phenomenon in the DSM-5. In August, China even moved to drastically limit online gaming for those under 18, in an effort to “combat gaming addiction.”
How Often Gamers Log On
1
*based on a poll of American adults
Tap each device to view data
Where Our Eyes Are Daily
8
The effects games have on our brains can even help us stay in better shape. One study found that among families, gamifying physical activity (by awarding points for certain activities) helped participants meet activity goals on more days. Competition through virtual leaderboards can help motivate people to work out, and one study found it was even more inspiring than “supportive” online fitness platforms, where users can message and post to others, but not track their progress. While even the most active games may not be a sufficient substitute for a full-on workout, playing a video game was found to be less harmful to your health than sedentary screen time, like binge watching a T.V. show. It’s set to be a lucrative industry too: the online fitness market is already valued at $7.99 billion, and it’s expected to reach nearly $60 billion by 2027.
Teachers have been using video games in the classroom for decades, as early as 1974, when The Oregon Trail was released to market to teach 8th graders about the real life hardships of the Oregon Trail. It turns out, video games don’t need to be deemed “educational” in order to help students learn, either. As many teachers recently adapted lesson plans for virtual learning, games helped keep kids engaged. Game publishers like Microsoft and Ubisoft created networks for teachers to use already popular games like Minecraft and Assassin's Creed to teach lessons around everything from understanding coral reefs
to exploring Ancient Greece.
7
Socialization isn’t the only benefit researchers have associated with gaming, either. Though video game research is fairly new, many studies have identified that video games can help us build cognitive skills, increase neuroplasticity, and even improve how the hippocampus functions. Researchers saw these advantages IRL, too: gamers in their studies could read smaller fonts, drive better in fog, and multitask more effectively.
Tap buttons to view data
benefited most from using games
Games in Class
5,6
Video game designer and Pearson author of
Introduction to Game Systems Design
Video game designer and Pearson author of
Dax Gazaway
The trend isn’t likely to decline as pandemic restrictions ease, either. Most gamers say they will continue to play in their spare time, and the global gaming industry expects growth to expand in this category by 32% from 2021 to 2025. The category of games expected to see the most expansion? That would be social games, or video games that require social interaction between players, as they appeal
to gamers of all ages.
Right now, nearly two-thirds of Americans play video games, a number that skyrocketed by nearly 30 percent from 2015 to 2020. With stay-at-home orders in place in 2020 and 2021, existing gamers found themselves playing more, while new gamers joined in on the phenomenon. For many, picking up a controller provided a necessary outlet for stress relief,
a much-needed distraction, and a lifeline to social interactions. Games released during
the pandemic, such as Animal Crossing and Among Us, created cultural phenomena, where even celebrities, politicians, and influencers were accessible in these online worlds.
Tap buttons to view data
2021
2020
2015
Gamers in the U.S.
1,2
