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60% Of Kids Play Games Every Day

Posted by Zonk on from the a-game-a-day-keeps-the-zerglings-away dept.

Next Generation has a piece up stating that, according to a JuniorSenior Research poll, something like 60% of all children play video games every day. From the article: "39% of the children polled said they were happy to pay a high price for games they especially wanted, and said they had saved up to buy a particular game. A third of children say their friends are the primary resource for information about new games, signaling the absolute importance of playground evangelists. Surprisingly a quarter of kids say advertising is a key source of information, while only 10% say they rely on TV shows."

5 of 31 comments (clear)

  1. remaining 40% of kids. by ikkonoishi · · Score: 4, Funny

    The study also concluded that 35% of kids live in caves, and an additional 5% lack opposable thumbs.

  2. Children Paying? by VJ42 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    "39% of the children polled said they were happy to pay a high price for games they especially wanted"
    From my experience it's usually mummy and daddy doing the paying, despite what the children say.

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    1. Re:Children Paying? by QuantumG · · Score: 3, Interesting

      ditto. I remember I saved up for a $10 phone and a $5 extension lead. My mum freaked out cause she couldn't understand why a kid would want a phone in their bedroom. After I told her how hard I worked to get the $15 she caved. Couple of months later I heard about modems and managed to save $30 for a 1200/75 baud one for my C64. Now that phone line had a dual purpose. I used it for almost a year before I learnt the fun of scanning 1800 numbers. Telstra sent me a nasty letter which my mum rang up and complained about. "It's not abuse to ring a number that is free. If they don't want people ringing it then don't make it free! No it doesn't matter how many calls he made, it's the principle of the matter!" Unfortunately 6 months later I called a few too many STD numbers and racked up an $800 phone bill. I never got an allowance again.

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      How we know is more important than what we know.
  3. The Poll by Hedonist23 · · Score: 3, Insightful
    First, this is a poll based out of the Netherlands, which would make this strictly applicable to Dutch children. Sadly, the percentage of American kids playing video games every day is probably much higher.

    Secondly, I give very little credence to polls like this inthe first place. Kids are much more likely to answer polls in untruthful ways, whether it be to impress their friends or because they don't quite understand the questions. Remember those drug surveys you had to take in high school (if you're in the 20 something crowd like me)? How many of your friends ever answered those correctly? Further, even the slightest change in the wording of the questions could probably change the answers significantly.

    Not an extremely useful survey at all, but definitely interesting for stimulating conversation of the topic at hand.

  4. Re:Internet? by syrinx · · Score: 3, Funny

    I doubt many 10 year olds come on slashdot.

    Don't browse at -1, do you?

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