Gaming – CBAM View

People are spending an increasing amount of their free time playing video games. A recent report [2]
found that gamers spend an average of 7.1 hours a week, up 20% from the previous year, playing
video games. This represents almost 20% of the average person’s free time.

Average play times are even higher for children; according to an Ofcom report [1] released in 2018,
they found that 76% of children aged 12-15 play video games for 13 hours per week. These statistics
demonstrate that video games are an important part in many people’s lives, and the impacts of
playing video games should be carefully considered.

Figure 1: Average time children in the UK spend play video games (per week)
80% 16

70% 14

60% 12

Hours per week

50% 10
Proportion who play games
Percent

40% 8

30% 6

20% 4 Time spent gaming

10% 2

0% 0
3-4 5-7 8-11 12-15
Age range
Source: Ofgem – Media use and attitudes report 2018

Historically, video games have been associated with isolation, increased violent or aggressive
behaviour and laziness. More recently, Donald Trump has been quoted saying “I’m hearing more and
more people say the level of violence on video games is really shaping young people’s thoughts”
after the mass school shooting in Florida in which 17 people died.

However, there is no consensus within scientific research regarding the correlation between
increased violent behaviour with increased play time of violent video games. In fact, one study [8]
found that only “20% of school shooters played violent video games, compared to 70% of their
nonviolent peers”. There are also meta-analysis studies that “have failed to find a significant
relationship between video games and aggression” [4}. However other studies have been reported to
conclude the opposite by saying that violent video games are a “risk factor for increased aggressive
behaviour” [4].

Sources:
[1]: Ofgem – Media use and attitudes report 2018
[2]: Limelight – The state of online gaming – 2019
[3]: The Benefits of Playing Video Games – Radoud University Nijmegen
[4]: Houses of Parliament – Impacts of video games (March 2012)
[5]: Meta-analysis of the relationship between violent video game play and physical aggression over time 2016
[6]: Sleep quality is negatively related to video gaming volume in adults 2015
[7]: Anderson et al., 2010, a meta-analytic review
[8]: Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong- 2017
[9]: United States Department of Labour – Bureau of Labour Statistics 2015
Another common misconception is that playing video games is isolating and unsociable, however the
reality is quite the opposite; “over 70% of gamers play video games with a friend, either
cooperatively or competitively”. Playing these prosocial games have been reported to encourage
both children and adults to exhibit more helpful behaviours [3].

Video games have also successfully been designed to positively change people behaviours. One of
the most positive and conclusive behavioural video game studies involved a game called “Re-
Mission” that was designed for child cancer patients. It aimed to teach children how best to adhere
to their cancer treatments. The results found that all of the children who played the game
demonstrated greater levels of self-efficacy and cancer-related knowledge in comparison to the
control group. The game has now been distributed to over 200,000 patients and continues to be
viewed as a successful treatment approach.

But much like other hobbies, gaming can become an addiction and result in numerous negative
secondary health impacts such as poor physical health and sleep deprivation [6]. Online gaming
disorder has now been recognised as a public health issue. The WHO (World Health Organisation)
classifies it as: addictive qualities such as spending excessive play time and neglecting other activities
such as schoolwork and interpersonal activities.

Even though the opinion on the impacts of playing video games is mixed, the evidence does suggest
that gaming can become an addiction that if left untreated can result in particularly harmful
consequences.

Sources:
[1]: Ofgem – Media use and attitudes report 2018
[2]: Limelight – The state of online gaming – 2019
[3]: The Benefits of Playing Video Games – Radoud University Nijmegen
[4]: Houses of Parliament – Impacts of video games (March 2012)
[5]: Meta-analysis of the relationship between violent video game play and physical aggression over time 2016
[6]: Sleep quality is negatively related to video gaming volume in adults 2015
[7]: Anderson et al., 2010, a meta-analytic review
[8]: Moral Combat: Why the War on Violent Video Games Is Wrong- 2017
[9]: United States Department of Labour – Bureau of Labour Statistics 2015