New study suggests men choose to work less because of video games

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Video games have become a formidable force in the consumer market, and with budgets growing exponentially, it's not a surprise that the experiences they bring forth have become extremely complex, to the point where they draw in men and women alike. So much so, that these games have become an important part of gamers lives, like family and social activities.

A recently released paper by the Bureau of Economic Research, suggests that men, age 21 to 55 were working up to 203 fewer hours year, or as gamers would call it, a good RPG playthrough. These numbers are skewed towards the younger generation, with men ages between 21 and 33 working less every year.

Games provide a sense of waking in the morning with one goal: I’m trying to improve this skill, teammates are counting on me, and my online community is relying on me, there is a routine and daily progress that does a good job at replacing traditional work.”

The paper suggests that this is mostly due to the advancements in gaming. The researchers pointed out that when video games first became mainstream, they were mainly linear titles like the original Super Mario Bros. and Pong. These days, some gamers spend several hundred hours going on quests together in World of Warcraft and other massive online games. One just needs to look at what massive social forces games like Minecraft and Player Unknown's Battlegrounds have become recently.

Replies • 113

Solar

Since when has it been a choice to either play computer games or work? If I want to play computer games I need to work so I can earn the money to do it. Have I missed a trick here or something?!

Cheers!


Planetary

I'm trying to stay away from MMOs. The more dangerous are not the bad ones, that you will delete quickly. The worst are those you like.

Taking so much of your time (at least your video games playing time, but maybe more). Have you tried to delete your favorite MMO and stop playing it during 1 month?

Video games can be very addictive, specially MMOs (leveling up, crafting, farming, quests, events, helping...)


I try to play games just for fun, and not to waste so much time in them




Pica das Galáxias

I don't think it's the games. I think it's just the fact I get to leave work and do what actually makes me happy.