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Teens, Video Games and Civics
Just how much gaming is done by teens? A “fully 97% of teens ages 12–17 play computer, web, portable, or console games,” according to the PEW Internet and American Life Project report on “teens, video games, and civics.”
Other key findings are:
- 50% of teens played games “yesterday.”
- 86% of teens play on a console like the Xbox, PlayStation, or Wii.
- 73% play games on a desktop or a laptop computer.
- 60% use a portable gaming device like a Sony PlayStation Portable, a Nintendo DS, or a Game Boy.
- 48% use a cell phone or handheld organizer to play games.
Some of the conclusions include:
Game playing is universal, with almost all teens playing games and at least half playing games on a given day. Game playing experiences are diverse, with the most popular games falling into the racing, puzzle, sports, action and adventure categories.Game playing is also social, with most teens playing games with others at least some of the time and can incorporate many aspects of civic and political life.
For more, you should really go read the whole thing, there is a wealth of data regarding most frequently played games, average hours played, genre of games played, and the social aspects of gaming:
— PEW site page for report: Teens, Video Games, and Civics
— Report itself: Teens, Video Games, and Civics (PDF)
— michael | September 22, 2008 09:14 AM | Something to think about
