The study was conducted on a representative sample of the Canadian population, in which people aged 6 to 64 had played any video game, regardless of device, in the four weeks prior to the study. Participants completed an online survey in May 2022.
According to the data collected, 53% of the participants said that they played video games regularly during the relevant period. This is an 8% decrease compared to the 2020 data, which was 61%.
This year, average playing hours have also fallen, at 7.9 hours per week among these enthusiasts, compared to 9 hours in 2020.
If teens correspond to the group that devotes the most hours per week to video games, with 11.5 hours, among women, the most dynamic for this entertainment are those 55-64 years old, who play 8.4 hours per week.
Games for kids and teens (44%) are released primarily on console. Among adults, mobile devices dominate, with 46% of followers. The PC is on the decline for these two groups, with 21% of adults and 16% of young adults adopting it, which is 2%, respectively, and 4% less than it was in 2020.
Social activity
The video game activity also allows you to spend time with your children. According to the Canadian Entertainment Software Association, 74% of parents who play video games do so with their children. 9% increase over the past two years
, ALD President and CEO Jayson Hilchie confirms. It is also an opportunity to spend more time with family, according to 69% of respondents, he adds.
Millennials who grew up during the video game revolution use them to connect with their kids
Jason Hilshey explains.
For teens, video games are an opportunity to enrich their social lives, according to the study.
” In fact, the 2022 Basic Facts Survey found that one of the biggest changes in video game use is that they are becoming more and more social. »
Adults also relate to this activity. 49% of those contacted said they regularly play with other people. In children, this percentage rises to 70%.
Esports has a better reputation
Competing in video game competitions is increasingly seen as a viable career by young people across the country. Esports-related events are also growing in popularity: more than a third of adults and 28% of teens who answered the survey indicated that they had participated in esports-related activities in the past year. 70% of these people see it as a business opportunity.
How do Canadians feel when playing video games? The overwhelming majority point to the direction of détente.
85% of gamers say video games reduce stress and 84% say they bring joy
we point out in the study.
All data from the ALD study is available on the association’s website (A new window).
