Gamers Speak Out: New Report Reveals the Massive Positive Impact Gaming Has on Lives
LONDON (PRWEB) June 20, 2018 -- 44% of gamers say that emotional wellbeing is the main benefit of gaming to society while only 3% think gaming has no benefit to wider society, according to Qutee report
37% of gamers say they have made at least half a dozen good friends through gaming
93% feel the media and political obsession around gaming and violence is unjustified
The outrage around the perceived negative impact of gaming on people’s lives has been notable for one thing: the absence of gamers’ views. The Gaming and You report published today by the data-led discussion platform Qutee seeks to redress the balance and give gamers a voice in the debate.
The report - which captures the views of more than 800 gamers - reveals a thriving community that cites the positive impact of gaming on aspects of mental health, its formative role in establishing close friendships, the highly inclusive nature of digital gaming communities and even the influence gaming has on skills development and future career choices.
44% of gamers claim improved emotional wellbeing thanks to gaming, and over one third (37%) of gamers have made at least six friends through playing online. Gaming also piques gamers’ interest in new hobbies and careers such as history (15%), IT (12%) and Art (7%), while 34% cite improved cognition, problem-solving or social skills thanks to gaming.
The Qutee discussion also captures a wealth of in-depth commentary from gamers keen to set the record straight. Selected highlights include:
“When I was younger having been bullied the whole way through school, gaming actually helped me massively, it stopped me from committing suicide because I had something to distract myself.” @robjames
“With my wife near death in hospital and me at home alone with a baby and two older kids to look after with a head injury, PTSD and no job, gaming saved not only my life but also saved my family.”@simuk
"I would most likely have never learned English without it... That alone was the best skill I could have ever gotten as now I can hear others opinions and share my own.” @jured100
“I am now studying to become a city planner, which was pretty much totally inspired by playing games such as Simcity and Cities Skylines.” @the_wat14
While gamers are willing to acknowledge the potential downsides of their past-time, with 23% claiming that gaming addiction should be ranked alongside drug/alcohol/gambling addiction, the question of commentators linking violence with gaming drew a nearly unanimous response, with 93% claiming current media and political attitudes are unjustified. As one gamer put it:
"Games are a good way to vent your anger rather than resorting to violence."
The report is based on an online discussion on Qutee led curated by a panel of respected gaming/tech data influencers such as Capguntom, Phylol, Lionheartx10, Huzzy among others. The data discussion generated over 4.5k poll interactions and almost 900 comments from 835 gamers worldwide.
“It’s easy for external commentators to dismiss or disparage an ever-expanding virtual world that they don’t understand, which is why we’ve enabled gamers to come together and share their innermost thoughts on what gaming means to them," said Tim Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Qutee.
“As our data discussion shows, gaming is seen as a force for good both at an individual and societal level, with 85% of the discussion focused on positive sentiments towards gaming. It’s inclusive, provides a safe haven for those who need a little more help to form friendships, encourages social interaction, reduces the impact of life’s stresses, and helps to build vital skills that are transferable to other parts of people’s lives.”
Note to editors: About the Gaming and You report
The curated Gaming and You data discussion on Qutee in May 2018 was led by a panel of leading gaming/tech influencers - @capguntom @phylol @lionheartx10 @huzzy @homelespenguin @oakelfish & @therambler146. It illustrates how and why gaming really matters, with hundreds of gamers commenting that it is a powerful force for good in their lives. 95% of the 835 gamers who participated were aged between 18- 34, with 51% living in the US, 19% in the UK, and the remaining 30% living in other parts of the world. The Gaming and You data discussion generated over 4,500 poll interactions and 886 comments.
To view the full data discussion, click here. To download a copy of Qutee’s Gaming and You report, click here.
About Qutee
Founded in 2015 by CEO Tim Wilson and CTO Flint Barrow, Qutee’s mission is to permanently raise the standard of debate online, for everyone’s benefit. The US/UK start-up’s data-led comments and discussion platform helps any digital content creator to engage with audiences in a more meaningful way by delivering real insights from online discussions. The platform is already generating 1000s of comments from engaged communities for data influencers in the gaming and tech space such as CapgunTom, Huzzy, Oakelfish and Phylol.
Qutee is privately backed and fully owns the intellectual property behind its technology platform. Board advisory members include Elizabeth Linder, who previously launched Facebook India and led Facebook EMEA government relations, and Jim Hodgkins, ex-CEO of the world’s leading psychographic consumer data company VisualDNA.
Frances Howell, Kite Hill PR, +44 203 9500 475, [email protected]
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