Video games top kids’ holiday wish lists, study finds

BOWLING GREEN, Ky. (WBKO) – Video games are the most requested holiday gift among children this year, according to a recent study by the Entertainment Software Association.

The study found that three in five kids are asking for something video game related this year, with gaming breaking traditional gender barriers.

“It’s the number one requested item for boys 5 through 17, but I also loved that more than one in three girls, nearly 40% of girls are going to be asking for video games this holiday season, really busting up those gender stereotypes we often hear around video games,” said ESA senior vice president, Aubrey Quinn.

The ESA said children are not looking for any particular game this year. Instead, they want in-game currency.

Digital currencies like Robux and V-bucks allow gamers to play as favorite characters from other media in free-to-play games they already own.

Children also expressed interest in playing games with their parents, according to the survey.

“In our survey we didn’t just ask kids what they want, we directly asked them ‘Do you wish your parents played more games with you?’ And the majority of kids said yes, especially younger kids, we found that the younger 5-12, over 60% of those kids wish their parents would sit down and play,” Quinn said.

Among children ages 5-10, three in four want their parents to play games with them.

While some parents prefer physical toys, Quinn said parents should consider the cognitive development benefits of video games.

“I always tell my friends that if I’m going to give my kids an hour or two of screen time every day I would much rather them be engaged in video game play than just sitting on a couch and passively consuming something or scrolling on the internet,” Quinn said.

Quinn said video games require active engagement, strategy and collaboration while teaching resilience.

“If you think about it, video games are not a passive form of screen time. Your kids have to be engaged. They have to be using their minds; they have to be strategizing and collaborating. They learn resilience,” she said.

More information on video game trends, including adult gaming data, is available on the Entertainment Software Association’s website.

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