Online gaming is becoming an increasingly popular phenomenon. From games available on smartphones, tablets, iPads and laptops, users can play from home or on the go. Just like online streaming devices such as Netflix or Hulu Plus, online gaming has taken over and this form of entertainment is not going to lose momentum soon.
A Growing Industry
Fr
om the article The Time Is Here For Online Gaming featured on Forbes.com, “online gaming or iGaming as it has been called, has grown into a multi-billion dollar business.” This industry has continued to grow at a considerable rate because of its users. From data collected from the Entertainment Software Association, 63% of US households are home to at least one person who plays video games regularly. (That’s 3 hours or more per week!) In conjunction to this 63%, 65% of US households own a device used to play video games. Out of these gamers, the average player is 35 years old. Being more specific, the most frequent female game player is on average 44 years old and the average male gamer is 35 years old. Males dominate the gaming field with 59% of game players being male while only 41% are female.
What types of games are users playing?
The top three types of video games that the most frequent gamers play on wireless or mobile devices are:
- Puzzle/board game/card game/game shows at 38%
- Action at 6%
- Strategy at 6%
Personally, I’m in congruence with this statistic as all the games on my iPhone or play online are puzzle or board game oriented such as Words with Friends, Trivia Crack or Quiz Up.
Side Effects
However, with this growing industry come negatives. From Video Gaming in a Hyperconnected World: A cross-sectional study of heavy gaming, problematic gaming symptoms, and online socializing in adolescents, heavy gaming correlates with depressive symptoms and behaviors. Users who spend unhealthy amounts of time gaming can develop depression, poor social skills or even an addiction. Signs or symptoms
of a gaming addiction include: Lying to friends or family regarding the amount of time spent playing, feelings of restlessness and/or irritability and voluntary isolation from others in order to spend more time gaming.
Moving Forward
Just like social media and online streaming services, online gaming is another industry on the rise. Only time will tell how this phenomenon will grow in the years to come.
Sources:
Essential Facts about The Computer and Video Gaming Industry
The Rise of Online Gaming in 2016
The Time is Here for Online Gaming
Media and Entertainment 
Not knowing much about video games made reading this post very interesting. I knew that video games were popular among teenage boys, but I wasn’t aware how widely used they are overall (especially with women). The fact that our IPhones now allow us to play video games, traditionally only found on computers and gaming systems, I think will only continue to increase the number of gamers. Often, people overlook the negative side effects that media, video games included, have. Many look at media platforms as modes of communication, but we tend to overlook the fact that if we spend all of our time online, we deter our face-to-face communication skills. Thus drawing on the common question of whether or not media is positively or negatively effecting our day-to-day lives.
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Sam, this was very informative! I only know about video games from my two younger brothers, who refuse to let me play, haha! However, I did not realize the span and encompassment of online gaming. Apps for Androids and iPhones all count. Like Words with Friends, Mario Run, FarmVille, and more, are games I or my friends have played, so i guess technically I am a gamer. From now on, it is not just Playstation games anymore. I and my peers use these games in class, on the go, or to destress. Pokemon Go was so big with some of my guy friends too, and they felt lost without it. Your article you linked, “Essential Facts about The Computer and Video Gaming Industry” was such a cool read, and one of my favorite hyperlinks! I have enjoyed your posts and your formatting- you are very good at this. Good job!
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