There are a whole lot of misconceptions and falsehoods around gaming and gamers. Some of them I have heard my entire life some are a bit newer but none of them are correct. I am going to discuss the three I have heard the most.
Gaming makes you violent. This is repeated by politicians constantly, and I have heard this said since I was a kid in the early nineties. The American Psychological Association says there is no connection between video games and violent acts. I think this is just an easy target that they think won’t anger their constituents, which leads to the next one.
Gaming is for kids. Oh boy, how wrong they are on this one. The average gamer is now thirty five years old and sixty five percent of households own a device used for gaming. This is a large portion of the population in all demographics. Thirteen percent of gamers are over the age of 50 equally split between men and women. The average American is a gamer.
Gaming is for loners. The basement dweller, you can see him now. Unshaven, unwashed, chugging Mountain Dew Code Red, and eating Doritos. All of the most popular games have an online component. They generally rely on cooperation and trust. People who cause trouble are called griefers and are usually punished for their behavior. Games like World of Warcraft that rely on this positive social environment for paid subscriptions can’t let this run rampant.
Sure there is a lot of negative stuff in competitive games but I would wager that the positive outweighs the bad. This also opens up a chance to talk to people from all over the world from every walk of life. People come together over a shared interest and support one another.
I don’t pretend that there aren’t bad things about gaming and gamers. However I think you and I are both sick of being told we are these misconceptions. Gaming is supposed to be fun and positive. I am excitedly waiting for Doom Eternal to come out. Nothing like coming home from a long day and slaying demons to a great soundtrack. Or you may be the type to relax to Animal Crossing. Either way have fun.
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Popeye The Deadlift Man 