Video games today are so different than the one I played growing up—Pong. I can remember struggling with the black cords to connect it to my TV and then playing the slow, methodical game. What is Pong, your kids ask? You can show it to them here. And, I can tell you that watching other people play Pong was never much fun. But now playing video games has become a spectator sport.
eSports, defined as competitive tournaments of video gaming, often by professionals, is popping up in arenas and gaming stadiums around the country. Just like baseball stadiums, people come out in huge numbers to watch live gaming. Several universities have even added eSports programs where gamers compete against other college teams in games like League of Legends and Overwatch and some even offer scholarships for top players.
Two weeks ago in Seattle, where I live, it was so wonderful to see thousands of people come out to watch the Special Olympics. To my surprise, video gaming was included as an official sport. And, according to The New York Times, the International Olympic Committee is considering adding eSports to the 2024 Olympics.
I have heard from many kids and teens about how much they enjoy watching other people play video games. The most popular gamers live-stream their gameplay to millions of viewers on YouTube channels. Kids have told me various reasons why they watch others play including getting insights into how to get better and getting to “know” certain players. Meanwhile, parents are often frustrated with the bad language that can be sprouted out incessantly by many of these YouTube players.
My goal in today’s TTT blog is to help spark a discussion about why youth (and adults) might like watching video games. And, while we talk about why people enjoy watching, it is also important to discuss how many hours a week makes sense to play. I’d encourage you to read my blog piece “Why 3 hours is too much” where I talked to 3 experts who work with families around curbing excessive video game use.
For this TTT, let’s open up a discussion around video games as a spectator sport, and as a sport in general.
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
Video games today are so different than the one I played growing up—Pong. I can remember struggling with the black cords to connect it to my TV and then playing the slow, methodical game. What is Pong, your kids ask? You can show it to them here. And, I can tell you that watching other people play Pong was never much fun. But now playing video games has become a spectator sport.
eSports, defined as competitive tournaments of video gaming, often by professionals, is popping up in arenas and gaming stadiums around the country. Just like baseball stadiums, people come out in huge numbers to watch live gaming. Several universities have even added eSports programs where gamers compete against other college teams in games like League of Legends and Overwatch and some even offer scholarships for top players.
Two weeks ago in Seattle, where I live, it was so wonderful to see thousands of people come out to watch the Special Olympics. To my surprise, video gaming was included as an official sport. And, according to The New York Times, the International Olympic Committee is considering adding eSports to the 2024 Olympics.
I have heard from many kids and teens about how much they enjoy watching other people play video games. The most popular gamers live-stream their gameplay to millions of viewers on YouTube channels. Kids have told me various reasons why they watch others play including getting insights into how to get better and getting to “know” certain players. Meanwhile, parents are often frustrated with the bad language that can be sprouted out incessantly by many of these YouTube players.
My goal in today’s TTT blog is to help spark a discussion about why youth (and adults) might like watching video games. And, while we talk about why people enjoy watching, it is also important to discuss how many hours a week makes sense to play. I’d encourage you to read my blog piece “Why 3 hours is too much” where I talked to 3 experts who work with families around curbing excessive video game use.
For this TTT, let’s open up a discussion around video games as a spectator sport, and as a sport in general.
As well as our weekly blog, we publish videos like this one every week on the Screenagers YouTube channel
For a long time, people have been talking about how video games might be linked to extreme acts of violence, such as school shootings. The fact is millions of youth have played violent video games, and far less than 1% will ever do any such acts of violence. Today I look at two studies that shed more light on the ACTUAL effects that violent games can have on youth behaviors.
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In today's blog, I delve into the darker side of gaming, from the aggressive exchanges and trash-talking in first-person shooters like Call of Duty and even Minecraft and Roblox. This discussion is featured in my latest podcast episode, where I interview a gamer and Dr. Kishonna Gray, an assistant professor in digital studies at the University of Kentucky. Dr. Gray, who explores the human dynamics in video games and assists parents in navigating challenging aspects of gaming culture, provides valuable insights and solutions.
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Today I’m sharing two polar opposites stories of people’s choices around video gaming — extremes can be great conversation starters. One is from a kid who decided, on his own, to stop all video gaming essentially, and the other is about teens attending a high school that is 100% focused on video gaming and the video gaming industry.
READ MORE >for more like this, DR. DELANEY RUSTON'S NEW BOOK, PARENTING IN THE SCREEN AGE, IS THE DEFINITIVE GUIDE FOR TODAY’S PARENTS. WITH INSIGHTS ON SCREEN TIME FROM RESEARCHERS, INPUT FROM KIDS & TEENS, THIS BOOK IS PACKED WITH SOLUTIONS FOR HOW TO START AND SUSTAIN PRODUCTIVE FAMILY TALKS ABOUT TECHNOLOGY AND IT’S IMPACT ON OUR MENTAL WELLBEING.
