Last year, millions around the world found respite and joy in digital play – much of it with friends and family. In the United States, seven out of 10 people – 226.6 million people – played video games, up from 214 million a year earlier, according to the Entertainment Software Association’s report 2021 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry.

This proved to be especially true for kids, with 60% of parents saying that games were helpful in connecting kids with friends and family. Many parents even joined in on the fun, with about 74% playing video games with their children at least weekly, up dramatically from 55% a year earlier.

As one parent said to the ESA, “I do get to spend time with my son playing, and talking about what we are doing next is a nice bonding opportunity.”

Bringing the Playground to Everyone

For Tyler Baker, the opportunity to socialize through online games isn’t just nice, it’s a lifeline. Born with open spina bifida, the 27-year-old uses a modified Xbox Elite controller provided by AbleGamers, a nonprofit that advocates for greater accessibility in digital entertainment.

His mother, Lisa, credits games with helping Tyler develop his hand-eye coordination, as well as his cognitive skills. “They keep his mind working to solve issues, maneuver through missions and tasks, and work as a team with other players,” said Lisa Baker, who estimates that three-quarters of her son’s friends were made via online gaming. “Socialization plays a key role, especially once the pandemic hit and we locked down.”

This is something Steven Hunter came to realize in 2012, when his oldest son Tanner suffered a wrestling accident in high school that left Tanner paralyzed from the neck down. Through adaptive technologies provided by AbleGamers, Tanner, now 26, was able to play Fortnite and other games with his two younger brothers.

“Gaming is a social activity for Tanner,” said Steven Hunter. “It’s become a pivotal way for him to socialize with his brothers. They all grew up very much into games, and it’s become a big part of how they stay close. They’re best friends.”

“What we know from years of experience is that games help combat social isolation and foster community among people with disabilities,” said Mark Barlet, founder and executive director of AbleGamers. “We make friends through shared experiences. It’s no different for people with disabilities, many of whom have friends they’ve met through games.”

Socializing through Shared Play

Researchers have pointed out that multiplayer games are social systems, wired for engagement, communication, competition, collaboration, and even innovation. Elisabeth Hayes Gee, professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and the Delbert & Jewell Lewis Chair in Reading & Literacy, said that “many video games are meant to be shared, and can teach young people about science, literacy, and problem solving.”

Ryan Perry, a behavioral-science researcher at the University of Melbourne, co-authored a paper titled “Online-only friends, real-life friends or strangers?” that concluded, “Overall, these results emphasize that social interactions in (and around) online multiplayer video games are effective for building social capital, and do so by ensuring game play is in harmony with other goals and values.”

That games are social is perhaps news to very few people these days. But it was not so long ago that gaming was seen as an isolating activity. This was particularly true for online gamers who were stereotyped as recently as 2012 as “low in social status and socially peripheral.”

The Modern Playground

Fast-forward to today, both demographics and culture have evolved. The average age of today’s gamer is 31, according to the ESA. In other words, yesterday’s gamers have grown up to become parents, surgeons, lawmakers, actors and role models. Meanwhile, children are communicating, strategizing, and building connections with each other over a friendly game of Fortnite or a shared Minecraft (Everyone 10+) world.

“Multiplayer games are exciting and interesting because people are exciting and interesting,” said Andy Robertson, a father of three, author of Taming Gaming, and creator of  the Family Video Gaming Database, which helps parents discover and learn more about games.

Robertson cites Roblox (Everyone 10+) as one of the games that mirror these physical playground interactions: “You see kids playing this game, and they’re like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if the floor was lava? Or if there were sharks here?’ And the developers would say, ‘Good, let’s do that.’ And so you end up with games in Roblox that can be quite peculiar because they’re shaped by these social interactions – not only between the players, but between players and developers as well.”

It’s striking that this behavior is so similar to improvised games kids can play with each other in-person. Video games have evolved to bridge the gap between real world imagination and the realities of a children’s day-to-day lives, becoming an essential tool for socialization and connection.

“When we say games, we often just think of the game itself,” Robertson said. “We sometimes forget that actually there is often this whole community around the game that is just as big a part of the play as the game itself.”

Staying Safe

Many parents have an understandable concern regarding their kids socializing online – including playing video games with strangers. You never truly know who’s on the other side of the screen unless you’ve first met them in real life, so it’s important to have an understanding of the tools at your disposal to make sure your kids have appropriate (and fun) online experiences with others.

As a parent, I find it helpful to have open conversations about who my son should play with, signs to watch out for, and how to respond if questionable things happen. Many parents I know have rules in place allowing their children to only play with family, friends from school, or pals from other real-world activities. Others feel comfortable permitting their kids to play with friends of friends, and maybe even strangers. Every child is different, and you’ll know when your children are ready for the next step.

We sometimes forget that actually there is often this whole community around the game that is just as big a part of the play as the game itself. – Andy Robertson

You can also set parental controls to help manage with whom your kids can play. These controls are available for virtually every video game device. While some let you make more granular rules than others, all are extremely helpful in creating an appropriate online experience.

As Robertson wistfully told me recently in conversation, “In a way, games are like playgrounds. Children run into the playground and… they don’t care who they’re playing with. There’s this lovely innocence about jumping in and just playing. If they keep seeing the same kids turning up playing the same games with them, you start to see these friendships form.”

Alex Pham is a mother, journalist and content strategist living in San Diego, Calif. She previously spent 20 years writing about media and technology for publications such as the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Billboard Magazine. The highlight of her career was when she beat Pikmin in a single, caffeine-fueled weekend.

The post The New Playground: Gaming as Social Activity appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

Last year, millions around the world found respite and joy in digital play – much of it with friends and family. In the United States, seven out of 10 people – 226.6 million people – played video games, up from 214 million a year earlier, according to the Entertainment Software Association’s report 2021 Essential Facts About the Video Game Industry.

This proved to be especially true for kids, with 60% of parents saying that games were helpful in connecting kids with friends and family. Many parents even joined in on the fun, with about 74% playing video games with their children at least weekly, up dramatically from 55% a year earlier.

As one parent said to the ESA, “I do get to spend time with my son playing, and talking about what we are doing next is a nice bonding opportunity.”

Bringing the Playground to Everyone

For Tyler Baker, the opportunity to socialize through online games isn’t just nice, it’s a lifeline. Born with open spina bifida, the 27-year-old uses a modified Xbox Elite controller provided by AbleGamers, a nonprofit that advocates for greater accessibility in digital entertainment.

His mother, Lisa, credits games with helping Tyler develop his hand-eye coordination, as well as his cognitive skills. “They keep his mind working to solve issues, maneuver through missions and tasks, and work as a team with other players,” said Lisa Baker, who estimates that three-quarters of her son’s friends were made via online gaming. “Socialization plays a key role, especially once the pandemic hit and we locked down.”

This is something Steven Hunter came to realize in 2012, when his oldest son Tanner suffered a wrestling accident in high school that left Tanner paralyzed from the neck down. Through adaptive technologies provided by AbleGamers, Tanner, now 26, was able to play Fortnite and other games with his two younger brothers.

“Gaming is a social activity for Tanner,” said Steven Hunter. “It’s become a pivotal way for him to socialize with his brothers. They all grew up very much into games, and it’s become a big part of how they stay close. They’re best friends.”

“What we know from years of experience is that games help combat social isolation and foster community among people with disabilities,” said Mark Barlet, founder and executive director of AbleGamers. “We make friends through shared experiences. It’s no different for people with disabilities, many of whom have friends they’ve met through games.”

Socializing through Shared Play

Researchers have pointed out that multiplayer games are social systems, wired for engagement, communication, competition, collaboration, and even innovation. Elisabeth Hayes Gee, professor at Arizona State University’s Mary Lou Fulton Teachers College and the Delbert & Jewell Lewis Chair in Reading & Literacy, said that “many video games are meant to be shared, and can teach young people about science, literacy, and problem solving.”

Ryan Perry, a behavioral-science researcher at the University of Melbourne, co-authored a paper titled “Online-only friends, real-life friends or strangers?” that concluded, “Overall, these results emphasize that social interactions in (and around) online multiplayer video games are effective for building social capital, and do so by ensuring game play is in harmony with other goals and values.”

That games are social is perhaps news to very few people these days. But it was not so long ago that gaming was seen as an isolating activity. This was particularly true for online gamers who were stereotyped as recently as 2012 as “low in social status and socially peripheral.”

The Modern Playground

Fast-forward to today, both demographics and culture have evolved. The average age of today’s gamer is 31, according to the ESA. In other words, yesterday’s gamers have grown up to become parents, surgeons, lawmakers, actors and role models. Meanwhile, children are communicating, strategizing, and building connections with each other over a friendly game of Fortnite or a shared Minecraft (Everyone 10+) world.

“Multiplayer games are exciting and interesting because people are exciting and interesting,” said Andy Robertson, a father of three, author of Taming Gaming, and creator of  the Family Video Gaming Database, which helps parents discover and learn more about games.

Robertson cites Roblox (Everyone 10+) as one of the games that mirror these physical playground interactions: “You see kids playing this game, and they’re like, ‘Wouldn’t it be great if the floor was lava? Or if there were sharks here?’ And the developers would say, ‘Good, let’s do that.’ And so you end up with games in Roblox that can be quite peculiar because they’re shaped by these social interactions – not only between the players, but between players and developers as well.”

It’s striking that this behavior is so similar to improvised games kids can play with each other in-person. Video games have evolved to bridge the gap between real world imagination and the realities of a children’s day-to-day lives, becoming an essential tool for socialization and connection.

“When we say games, we often just think of the game itself,” Robertson said. “We sometimes forget that actually there is often this whole community around the game that is just as big a part of the play as the game itself.”

Staying Safe

Many parents have an understandable concern regarding their kids socializing online – including playing video games with strangers. You never truly know who’s on the other side of the screen unless you’ve first met them in real life, so it’s important to have an understanding of the tools at your disposal to make sure your kids have appropriate (and fun) online experiences with others.

As a parent, I find it helpful to have open conversations about who my son should play with, signs to watch out for, and how to respond if questionable things happen. Many parents I know have rules in place allowing their children to only play with family, friends from school, or pals from other real-world activities. Others feel comfortable permitting their kids to play with friends of friends, and maybe even strangers. Every child is different, and you’ll know when your children are ready for the next step.

We sometimes forget that actually there is often this whole community around the game that is just as big a part of the play as the game itself. – Andy Robertson

You can also set parental controls to help manage with whom your kids can play. These controls are available for virtually every video game device. While some let you make more granular rules than others, all are extremely helpful in creating an appropriate online experience.

As Robertson wistfully told me recently in conversation, “In a way, games are like playgrounds. Children run into the playground and… they don’t care who they’re playing with. There’s this lovely innocence about jumping in and just playing. If they keep seeing the same kids turning up playing the same games with them, you start to see these friendships form.”

Alex Pham is a mother, journalist and content strategist living in San Diego, Calif. She previously spent 20 years writing about media and technology for publications such as the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, and Billboard Magazine. The highlight of her career was when she beat Pikmin in a single, caffeine-fueled weekend.

The post The New Playground: Gaming as Social Activity appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

Because of ADHD I have this feeling all the time, only the other voice is my own brain… and it won’t shut up even if I ask politely.

Everyone I’ve met with ADHD feels this differently, but for me it was a constant struggle growing up and into adulthood. It could be a real impediment to some basic tasks – especially in school. I always did my homework and worked hard, but some information would slide off my mind like butter on a hot pan… that is, until video games helped me better understand who I am, how my brain processes information, and how I learn.

Catching ‘Em All… Friends, That Is

As a hyperactive kid, I sometimes had trouble adapting to new environments and making friends. Hyperactive energy can be off putting or confusing to a young kid with no frame of reference, and it made me self-conscious in social situations. I was fortunate enough to always have a some very good friends when I was young, but I always had a lot of anxiety when it came to creating new relationships.

Pokémon Red (1996 – Nintendo)

Fourth grade was the first time I didn’t have any friends in my class, and I was petrified that people wouldn’t like me.

Enter Pokémon.

In elementary school I was a Pokémon (Everyone) fiend. There was nothing in the world more important to me than catching them all, so I made it my life’s mission to fill my Pokédex with all 150 available critters.

I took it upon myself to organize complex Pokémon trading marathons with other kids in my class, so we could all complete our Pokémon catalogue. I ended up building a group of good school buddies through the hours of catching, training, evolving and trading. Coming at a perfect time, the experience taught me that I can build relationships with other kids that have the same interests as me and, despite my energy, I was a good friend and a “nice kid”. On top of that, this experience taught me the most basic principles of working as a team to accomplish complex, multi-part goals.

I Don’t Know Where I Am

Another particularly fun part of my ADHD is an absolutely horrendous sense of direction that plagues me to this day. GPS certainly makes it easier, but without the wonders of modern technology I’d get lost going around the corner. Growing up, this was made even more difficult as someone that confused their right and left up to an embarrassingly old age (thanks to a super fun side of Dyslexia!). And remembering East versus West was an absolute fantasy. Until I became obsessed with The Elder Scrolls III: Morrowind (Teen 13+).

Morrowind is a role-playing game (RPG) set in an enormous, detailed fantasy world, complete with individually operating cities, public transportation, and ruins of dead civilizations hidden by mountains of accumulated volcanic ash. In middle school, my friends and I put hundreds of hours into this world. We would trade stories of our time exploring, and devise strategies so complex that it would make our characters essentially invincible mere hours into the game. These strategies required a certain degree of spatial precision, especially in such a massive game world. We had to know where to go.

Slipped into the game’s box was a physical map of the in-game world, which I initially ignored. But when you know you have to travel Northeast from Seyda Neen to get to Dren Plantation (for some great weapons and a Daedric shield) and then East around numerous mountain ranges until you hit Azura’s Shrine, at which point you turn North past some Daedric ruins and over some more mountain ranges until you get to Tel Fyr, where you can pickpocket a full set of Daedric Armor off of Divath Fyr… a good map is essential.

Morrowind drilled map-reading into my brain as I explored that world. Eventually, my physical map was littered with hand-written notes; edges frayed and crumpled from use. Like I said, GPS became ubiquitous and solved a lot of this for me in the real world. But I am now a confident navigator providing I have a good map – be it tangible or on my phone. This is a skill I never would have learned had it not been for my time on Vvardenfel.

What Was I Doing Again…?

One relatively unknown part of ADHD is a swiss-cheese-like short-term memory. Immediate tasks get lost in a jumbled mess of sensory overload. I can be asked to tackle a simple assignment and completely forget what it was, even as I walk to my desk to begin working on it. It’s probably what I struggle with most, and I eventually found that I need an iron-clad method to make sure this doesn’t happen; forgetting to do a task that would take all of 20-seconds is simply not a good look in any personal or professional setting. Fortunately, there are tons of video games that are basically smart notetaking simulators with pretty graphics.

Whether a game has notetaking build into the UI, like in World of Warcraft (Teen 13+) and Fallout 3 (Mature 17+), or it’s up to the player to keep notes, like in The Witness (Everyone), games generally benefit from some kind of interface to keep track of what’s going on.

The Witness (2016 – Thekla Inc.)

The concept of applying this to my real life didn’t sink in until well after I graduated from college, but I credit video games with my current notetaking strategies. Video games helped me overcome my wonky short-term memory by essentially training me to make lists to track and manage both short-term and long-term tasks. I now keep two notebooks with slightly different purposes. One, my “Journal”, I use daily to write down new facts and information. My other book is my “Quest Log”, which I use to track all my projects, with milestones to make sure I make progress each week. After every meeting I consult my Journal and write specific step-by-step tasks into my Quest Log for future reference.

There’s nothing more satisfying than seeing all of my weekly goals crossed out in my Quest Log… imagine all the EXP I got for those!

Everyone is “Different” and “Different” is Good

Beyond the obvious, growing up with a learning disability can wreak havoc on your self-esteem… no matter what age you are, but especially for kids. Repeatedly struggling with things like math and spelling, while your peers accel can make you feel like you’re not “normal” before you’re old enough to understand that the concept of “normal” doesn’t exist. I can only speak for myself when I say that there were times when I felt like it wasn’t even worth trying, because it would just never “click.” Even as an adult this vacuum of confidence can sneak out as I attempt to solve a seemingly simple problem, only to feel like I’m trying to jam a puzzle piece into an incompatible slot.

Ultimately, video games taught me how to turn my ADHD into an asset.

One of the most valuable things video games taught me was resilience. Video games introduced an intrinsic excitement and confidence into my young life that I was simply unable to get elsewhere. They gave me a chance to try and fail with no real downside; to set incremental goals for myself as I strive for a greater task. They helped me persevere in no-risk scenarios on my own time and conditioned me with a sense of tenacity that I otherwise may not have found. Video games helped me prove to myself that I am capable of not only succeeding but excelling. Sometimes I may just need to take interesting detours along the way.

Ultimately, video games taught me how to turn my ADHD into an asset. Sure, I see things differently than some people, but different is good!

Epilogue

I played a lot of video games growing up. In the time before parental controls and reliable data about the benefits of video games, this was understandably distressing to my mom. While she was infinitely patient with me, she simply didn’t “get” video games, and our household rules reflected that it was perceived as an unintellectual endeavor in my home. (Her words, not mine!) I now get indescribable joy from reminding her of this blatantly incorrect assessment of video games. I basically wouldn’t have a job if it weren’t for the things I learned from video games. She’ll now proudly admit that it was an essential teaching tool for me, and the only one at my disposal that actually fit how I learned. (Also her words, not mine!)

My love for games turned into a love of storytelling, which evolved into a love of writing, which pushed me to an early career in journalism, then PR, and eventually to ESRB, where I have an objectively cool job that touches some of the most interesting parts of an industry I truly love. It’s worth noting that none of this goes away; ADHD has been part of me since day one, and will be forever, but I’ve learned how to turn these perceived shortcomings into assets. Even so, things don’t always translate: Sometimes I’ll say or do something that makes perfect sense to me, only to find that it doesn’t quite connect for the people around me. But if I’ve learned anything from video games it’s that these scenarios are not a game over (get it?). It’s just an opportunity to look at things from a different angle.

The post Video Games, ADHD, and Me appeared first on ESRB Ratings.

As COVID-19 has changed education to become more digital, that concern is coming to the forefront. Many kids probably want to wind down after a day of school – be it remote or in-person – by playing video games (as they’ve always done) and their parent’s first instinct may involve cutting off screen time.

A good compromise for many parents might seem to be found in video games that use the format to educate. Unfortunately in my experience, kids tend to equate the term “educational” with “not fun”.

But hope is not lost!

Educational and Entertaining

There are many games that aren’t “educational” in the traditional sense, but that can still have educational benefits. One trick is to find games that have a solid narrative or fun gameplay built around puzzles and/or problem solving. Learning in games works best when it’s handled like a Trojan Horse, the game doesn’t explicitly set out to educate, so any learning or brain training comes off like a happy accident.

Puzzle games like Professor Layton (Everyone 10+ to Teen 13+) and Pushmo (Everyone), for example, stimulate the brain while using narrative and gameplay to distract from any notion that it’s educational. Adventure games like the Monkey Island series (Everyone 10+ to Teen 13+), Day of the Tentacle (Teen 13+), and Putt-Putt (Everyone) aren’t promoted as “educational” but they all focus on critical thinking and problem solving to progress.

Learning in games works best when it’s handled like a Trojan Horse, the game doesn’t explicitly set out to educate, so any learning or brain training comes off like a happy accident.

There are even games that encourage more concrete educational development. For example, games like Minecraft (Everyone 10+) and Roblox (Everyone 10+) often lead to kids becoming more interested in coding and development.

Finding the Benefits

Here’s the best part: Any game can be educational. SimCity (Everyone 10+), Age of Empires (Everyone 10+ to Teen 13+) and Civilization (Everyone 10+) teach city planning and government function. Okami (Teen 13+) and Roki (Everyone 10+) are built around mythology not often taught in schools. I can’t count the number of history tests I passed solely because of events I’ve learned about from Assassin’s Creed (Mature 17+).  Not all of these games are appropriate for all ages, but it stands to show that there truly is something of educational merit for everyone.

If you’re the parent of a middle or high schooler who’s starting to get into more mature games then don’t worry. There’s a good chance that whatever games they’re playing will have some educational value – even if it’s expanding their vocabulary or boosting reading comprehension. The trick is to figure out what that is. A good starting point is to check the game’s ESRB rating information, which will help you decide if the game’s content is appropriate for your family. The next step is to take a look at the game’s setting. See if it’s based in history or provides insight into particular cultures and mythology. It’s worth noting that most game studios are committed to making their games as authentic and accurate as possible, so chances are you’ll find that most games are grounded in reality to a certain degree.

For younger children, there is one skill in particular that video games can help with: reading. There are a ton of games, appropriate for kids, which communicate mainly through written words. When I was in elementary school I did the majority of my reading through video games rather than the books the teachers would assign. Games like Paper Mario (Everyone), The Legend of Zelda (Everyone to Everyone 10+), and Pokémon (Everyone) require reading in order to progress and can become a great incentive to get kids to practice their reading skills.

It’s easy to worry about the kind of media your child consumes, but video games have the power to educate as well as entertain. Just give them a chance and you’ll find that video games can be just as educational as they are fun.

Will has been playing video games since he was 3 years old. He enjoys not just playing the games but studying the industry that makes them. Cross this with years of experience working with people who have special needs and you get a unique perspective of the power of gaming, how they can help people, and what can be done to make them more accessible.

The post The Educational Value of Video Games appeared first on ESRB Ratings.