Research completed - Teens, Video Games, and Civics

Another article about the same research: http://www.twincities.com/ci_10481493

Survey blows up stereotype of gamers as loners addicted to violence Nearly every U.S. youth plays, a stereotype-busting poll finds

By Bob Keefe Cox News Service Article
Last Updated: 09/17/2008 07:19:01 AM CDT

If it seems just about every American teenager is playing a video game these days, it's because they are.

A new survey, the most comprehensive of its kind, shows 97 percent of teenagers ages 12 to 17 play video games of some sort, whether it's on a console like Nintendo's Wii, a computer, or a cell phone or other handheld device. The survey by the Pew Internet & American Life Project also debunks the stereotype of the gamer as an anti-social teenage boy addicted to bloody shoot-'em-up or street-fighting games.

About 76 percent of teen gamers said they played games with others at least some of the time. About 65 percent said they sometimes play games with others in the same room, as opposed to over the Internet. And while first-person shooter games are certainly popular, the most-played games involve nonviolent themes like NASCAR racing, puzzles like Tetris or Bejeweled, or sports like football, soccer and skateboarding, according to the study.

"This report does a lot of myth-busting," said Amanda Lenhart, the Pew senior researcher who led the study. "It's not just about 14-year-old boys sitting alone in the basement, blowing things up." The most surprising finding was how all-encompassing video games are today, Lenhart said. "We don't see economic inequalities, we don't see racial differences," she said. "We see some slight variations by gender and by age, but that's about it."

According to the study, about 99 percent of teenage boys and 94 percent of teenage girls said they play video games. More than half of younger teens, ages 12 to 14, indicated they played games regularly, while 46 percent of older teens said they did so.

The ubiquity of video games is nonetheless troubling for critics like Joan Almon, chairwoman of a Maryland group called Alliance for Childhood. She said the fact that nearly every teenager plays video games means that nearly every teenager is missing out on more constructive, more engaging play with others. Almon said her group has worked with employers who say one of their biggest problems is finding young workers who can work well as part of a team. The reason, she claims, is partly because young people today do much of their socializing with peers through games, text messages and e-mails instead of in face-to-face settings. "Not all socialization is the same," Almon said.

Violent games like Halo and Grand Theft Auto remain popular and controversial. Of gaming teens, 32 percent report that at least one of their three favorite games is rated Mature or Adults Only. Of teens who play M- or AO-rated games, 79 percent are boys. The effect of such games on teens remains a matter of debate. The Pew report noted that 63 percent of teen gamers report "people being mean and overly aggressive while playing" but also that more than three-fourths of teens who took the survey witnessed "people being generous and helpful while playing."

But parents don't seem overly concerned about the impact of video games, according to the Pew study. Just 13 percent of parents said they think video games have a negative influence on their children, perhaps because 90 percent said they always or sometimes know what games their children play. Mary Beth Kissling, of Plymouth, said she keeps a close eye on what media her teenage son uses. "I would not let him play Grand Theft Auto," she said. And because she knows she can't always be present to monitor what games he plays, she's had discussions with her son outlining expectations about what he shouldn't be playing. A 2006 Minnesota law that would fine youths for renting or buying such games was struck down on free-speech grounds before it could take effect.

Minneapolis-based Target does not carry Adults-Only games, and Target and Richfield-based Best Buy are among the retailers that have enacted voluntary policies that restrict minors from purchasing games rated Mature; Wal-Mart and GameStop have similar policies.

Part of the reason video games have become ubiquitous is because technology advances have made consoles, computers and Internet gaming cheaper and easier to use. The growth of handheld devices, such as cell phones or music and video players like iPods, has created another platform for games. Last year, computer and video game software sales grew by 6 percent to $9.5 billion, more than triple the size of the market a decade earlier, according to the Entertainment Software Association. "Just as we started to see families who couldn't afford a computer before now buying them because the price of the technology went down, the same is the case with consoles" and other gaming devices, said Pew researcher Lenhart.

The Pew report is based on a telephone survey of 1,102 teenagers ages 12 to 17 between Nov. 1, 2007, and Feb. 5, 2008. The margin of error is plus or minus 3 percentage points. Andrew Cummins contributed to this report.

TEENS AND VIDEO GAMES BY THE NUMBERS

Who plays and how:

• 97 percent of Americans ages 12-17.
• 99 percent of teenage boys.
• 94 percent of teenage girls.
• 86 percent of teen gamers play on a console.
• 73 percent play on a computer. 60 percent use a portable game player.
• 48 percent use a cell phone or handheld organizer.

What they play:

• 74 percent play racing games such as NASCAR or Mario Kart.
• 72 percent play puzzle games such as Tetris, Bejeweled or Solitaire.
• 68 percent play sports games such as Madden Football or Tony Hawk skateboarding.
• 67 percent play action games such as Grand Theft Auto or Devil May Cry. 49 percent play first-person shooter games such as Halo or Half-Life.

Who they play with:

• 76 percent play with others at least some of the time.
• 65 percent sometimes play with others in the same room.
• 27 percent play with people over the Internet.
• 82 percent play alone, although
• 71 percent of this group said they also play with others.

Source: Pew Internet & American Life Project

The above research was quoted by Dr. Phil on the "Virtual Chaos" show we were on...