New study sheds light on how teens form relationships around video games

A recent Pew Research Center report exploring the contours of friendship in the digital age has found that video games are becoming a fundamental part of teenage friendships. 

The report, which documents the findings of a national survey of American teens between the ages of 13 to 17, also highlights that, while lots of teens are making new friends and maintaining old friendships using video games, the medium is a male-dominated space. 

Indeed, while 72 percent of all teens asked said they play games, only 59 percent of girls, compared to 84 percent of boys, said they spent time playing games regularly. 

The survey found that boys feel more comfortable playing games with others, with 34 percent of boys surveyed playing games online, and 16 percent playing with friends in the same room. Conversely, only 8 percent of girls said they play games online, while just 5 percent said they play locally with others. 

The report also suggests that teenage boys feel more confident communicating and sharing information with others online, with 38 of boys, and a mere 7 percent of girls, giving out their gaming handle as one of the first three pieces of information exchanged.