Why playing video games might be a good thing for your child

Worried your child is playing too many video games? Fear not, it could help land them a future job.

A survey has found employers are increasingly impressed by young candidates who are gamers.

Over half said they were more likely to hire someone who showed how the hobby had helped them develop skills for the working world.

The poll, commissioned by YouTube, also asked Generation Z how they felt hours spent on games such Minecraft and Roblox could be helping their future job prospects.

Among the benefits reported were improved communication and problem-solving, while also teaching how to deal well under pressure.

Research by Ofcom last year revealed 71 per cent of Britons aged between 16 and 24 played computer games online.

The average time spent doing so was over eight hours a week– with the vast majority of parents reporting an increase since the pandemic.

YouTube’s survey of 500 recruiters found over two-thirds had seen a rise in the number of young people adding it to their CV as a hobby.

More than two in five – 63 per cent – said they would be impressed by a candidate using it to show how they’ve been able to build key skills. While 56 per cent said this would make them more likely to hire them.

Researchers also questioned 1,500 Gen Z on how it was helping them prepare for the world of work.

One in two said it taught them to think more strategically and solve problems.

While around a third said it helped them keep calm in stressful situations and, with many online games now requiring users to engage with fellow users, made them more confident communicators.

Dr Matthew Barr, who founded the University of Glasgow’s first game studies course, said his research had shown playing video games helped ‘develop important employability skills, such as communication, resourcefulness, and adaptability’.

‘A smart gamer can see the parallels between what they’re doing in a game and what they might have to do in work or at university or college, and feel confident that they have tools at their disposal to succeed, because they’ve done something similar in their favourite game.’

For decades, he said, team sports such as football had been seen as a positive way for young people certain skills, and the ‘same can be said about team-based video games.’

The poll, commissioned by YouTube, also asked Generation Z how they felt hours spent on games such Minecraft and Roblox could be helping their future job prospects (stock image) 

Ian Storey, director at recruitment and HR firm Hays, said: ‘Skills acquired through gaming can be very relevant in today’s job market and the gaming industry has been credited with helping to encourage people into the tech sector, especially in areas which are skill-short, such as development.’

‘When it comes to including gaming as part of your CV, it’s about how you either make it relevant to the job you are applying for, or how it makes you more interesting as a potential employee.’

Chris Macchi, YouTube Partnerships Team at YouTube said: ‘Hundreds of millions of gaming fans come to YouTube everyday- with total views for gaming-related content crossing 2 trillion in 2022.

‘We are supremely proud of the YouTube gaming creators here in the UK who have built careers out of their passion and who are now inspiring other young people to do the same. 

‘Whether they’re working in jobs, or offline, this research shows that skills learned through gaming can set Gen Z up for career success’.