Why playing video games might be a good thing for your child
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Why playing video games can be GOOD for your child: Employers are increasingly hiring young gamers for their problem-solving and communication skills, study shows
- Research from YouTube shows that employers are increasingly impressed with young gamers
- 71 percent of Britons aged 16 to 24 played computer games online
Worried that your child is playing too many video games? Fear not, it can help them find a future job.
A survey shows that employers are increasingly impressed with young candidates who are gamers.
More than half said they were more likely to hire someone who showed how the hobby had helped them develop skills for the working world.
The poll, commissioned by YouTube, also asked Generation Z how they felt hours spent on games like Minecraft and Roblox could help their future job prospects.
Among the benefits reported were improved communication and problem solving, while also learning how to act well under pressure.
Worried that your child is playing too many video games? Fear not, it can help them find a future job (stock image)
A survey by Ofcom last year found that 71 percent of Britons aged 16 to 24 played computer games online.
The average time spent doing this was more than eight hours a week – with the vast majority of parents reporting an increase since the pandemic.
A YouTube survey of 500 recruiters found that more than two-thirds had seen an increase in the number of young people adding it to their resumes as a hobby.
More than two in five – 63 percent – said they would be impressed if a candidate used it to demonstrate how they’ve built key skills. While 56 percent said it would make them more likely to hire them.
Researchers also surveyed 1,500 Gen Z about how it helped prepare them for the world of work.
One in two said it taught them to think more strategically and solve problems.
While about a third said it helped them stay calm in stressful situations and, with many online games now requiring users to interact with fellow users, they communicated more confidently.
Dr. Matthew Barr, who founded the University of Glasgow’s first game studies course, said his research had shown that playing video games helped develop “key employability skills such as communication, resourcefulness and adaptability.”
“A smart gamer can see the parallels between what they do in a game and what they might need to do at work or at university or college, and be sure they have the tools at their disposal to succeed because they have done something similar in their favorite game.’
For decades, he said, team sports such as football were seen as a positive way of teaching young people certain skills, and “the same can be said about team-based video games.”
The poll, commissioned by YouTube, also asked Generation Z how they felt hours spent on games like Minecraft and Roblox could help their future job prospects (stock image)
Ian Storey, director of recruitment and HR firm Hays, said: ‘Skills acquired through gaming can be highly relevant in today’s job market and the gaming industry is credited with helping to encourage people in the tech sector , especially in areas that are skill—in short, like development.”
“When it comes to including gaming in your resume, it’s about how you make it relevant to the job you’re applying for, or how it makes you more interesting as a potential employee.”
Chris Macchi, YouTube Partnerships Team at YouTube said: “Hundreds of millions of game fans flock to YouTube every day – with total views for game-related content exceeding 2 trillion by 2022.
“We are extremely proud of the YouTube game creators here in the UK who have built careers from their passion and are now inspiring other young people to do the same.
“Whether they’re working on a job or offline, this research shows that skills learned through gaming can help Gen Z advance in their careers.”