Teenage boys in the UK are spending more time playing video games than being in a classroom, according to research.
The average 15- to 17-year-old boy spends approximately 34 hours a week on video games, a new report by Mumsnet has revealed. In comparison, pupils are expected to be in school for 32.5 hours a week.
While boys consistently tend to play more video games than girls, on average the overall time children spend gaming has increased to 20.4 hours a week from 16.8 hours last year.
Mumsnet founder Justine Roberts said: “Mumsnet users are increasingly worried about the amount of time their children spend on screens, and with limited first-hand experience of gaming, many parents find it challenging to understand the trade-offs between risk and reward.”
The study of more than 1,000 parents of seven- to 17-year-olds found that nearly eight in ten parents are concerned about their child’s gaming screen time, and two-thirds are concerned about the risk of gaming addictions.
The poll was conducted in collaboration with Ygam, a youth charity centred on gaming and gambling harm prevention. Interim chief executive Helen Martin said: “Education has an essential role to play - not just for young gamers, but also for the adults who care for them - to help safeguard children and keep pace with our rapidly evolving digital world.”
Parents are calling for more preventative education in schools, with 91 per cent supporting lessons on gaming harms and 83 per cent on the dangers of gambling. Most believe this should take place in primary school, but only 40 per cent said they were aware of their children having received any such education.
Additionally, children are being increasingly exposed to in-app purchases, as 52 per cent of parents have seen gambling-like elements in their children’s games. These most commonly take the form of mystery boxes (33 per cent) and loot boxes (30 per cent), which mimic gambling because they involve a transaction in exchange for a chance outcome.
Although 90 per cent of parents set spending limits for their children when playing video games, parents of 15- to 17-year-olds had the fewest compared to other ages.
Yet the vast majority of parents - 96 per cent - also recognised some of the relaxing benefits gaming can have in terms of lowering stress levels and encouraging digital literacy, problem solving and critical thinking.
Gaming is more than just a hobby for some, with nearly one in four boys aged nine or ten aspiring to be professional e-sport gamers in the future and two-thirds of parents supporting this career path.
