Saturday, March 25, 2017

Gamer Altruism Defeats Stereotypes about Gaming



The Video Game Industry is one of the fastest growing sectors of the U.S. Economy. From 2009 to 2012, the industry grew at a rate of 10%, with overall U.S. economy only growing by 2.4% during the same period. Today there are more gamers than ever, with more than 150 million Americans playing video games. However, even now some people continue to insinuate that playing games causes violent crimes, perpetuating unfounded stereotypes. The stereotypical gamer is an awkward boy who never grew up, never contributed to life in a meaningful way. Facts easily dispel these stereotypes: the average gamer is 35 years old, nearly half (41%) of them are female. A new survey commissioned by the Entertainment Software Association (ESA) found that more than 80% of gamers said they anticipate voting in 2016, in comparison to 75% of non-gamers. In the 2012 presidential election, gamers voted 10% more than the general public.