In Germany, almost 90% of children and teenagers between the ages of 10 and 18 are addicted to video games. On average, they spend two and a half hours a day on this. As gaming devices, consoles and computers and smartphones are used. These are the main conclusions of a representative survey, the results of which were published on August 16 by the German association of digital economy companies Bitkom.

Boys play more than girls

Only 5% of children in Germany do not play more than 15 minutes a day. Another 15% spend between 15 and 60 minutes a day playing video games. At the same time, according to a survey, 70% of boys and girls in Germany play more than an hour a day. At the same time, boys spend more time on games – they play an average of half an hour longer. Especially 13-15 year olds play a lot of video games – an average of 165 minutes a day.

Parents can regulate access to video games

Games have become an integral part of the lives of many German children and teenagers, says Bernhard Rohleder, head of Bitkom. However, don’t let the situation take its course, experts say. The Bitkom association recommends that parents take care of orderly access to computer games. In particular, experts advise negotiating with children the maximum number of hours per week they can spend playing. For young children, these rules must also be established for every day, according to Bitkom.

YouTube is the favorite platform of German youth

According to Bitkom, 98% of children aged 6 to 18 in Germany own a smartphone or tablet. At the same time, they spend an average of 111 minutes a day on the Internet. At the same time, instant messengers and video streaming services are the most popular among children and teenagers.

Across all age groups, YouTube dominates the platforms used in 2022. At least 82% of children and teens use this platform.

Highest number of players among Germans over 30 years old

However, it is not teenagers who make up the main group of players in Germany. The largest number of fans of video, computer or other electronic games turned out to be between 30-39 year olds and 50-59 year olds. Computer games are no stranger to elders. It is worth noting that compared to 2014, the average age of the “German player” has also changed – now he is 37 years old, not 31 as before. But the ratio of men to women for the first time, as Bitkom emphasizes, turned out to be almost 50 to 50. That’s gender parity in the gaming industry!