Video game players are more social, educated than non-players - study

A new U.S. study commissioned by streaming platform Twitch has found that people who play games are generally more successful, more optimistic and better educated than those people who do not. In a study from LifeCourse Associates, the company surveyed 1,227 Americans aged between 13-64 in a bid to discover the social differences between people who play games and people who don't. The report found that people who play games tend to be more educated, with 43 percent of players surveyed holding a college degree or higher, versus 36 percent for non-players. And people who play games are slightly more likely to be employed full-time and be in a job that they actually like, with 45 percent agreeing with this sentiment compared to 37 percent for non-players. Notably, 67 percent of players said they felt positive about their future career, versus 42 percent of non-players. But it's the social implications that are perhaps the most interesting, as players tend to believe that they are having a positive impact on society and the people around them far more than people who don't play games. Seventy-six percent of players said that having a positive impact on the world around them was important, versus 55 percent for non-players, while 61 percent of players said they felt like "a natural leader" compared to 35 percent of non-players. Players surveyed also said they lead more social lives that non-players. Fifty-seven percent agreed with the statement, "My friends are the most important thing in my life," compared to 35 percent of non-players, while 82 percent said spending time with their families was important, versus 68 percent of non-players. "The old stereotype of the solitary geek gamer is over," said Neil Howe, the researcher behind the report. "It turns out gamers today are more educated, optimistic, socially conscious, and connected to friends and family than non-gamers."