Your teen’s favorite hobby can give them the keys to success in life.
Parents of teenagers often have a common concern: seeing their child spend hours in front of video games or their computer and that it will harm them later. They fear that they will become addicted to them and that this exposure to screens will harm their mental and physical health. But also that this pastime will isolate them from the real world and that, consequently, their academic results and skills will be affected. But what if, in the end, it was quite the opposite that happened? American researchers from Rutgers University in New Jersey looked into this subject in a recent study, Not “Just a Hobby”: The Influence of Early Interest and Hobbies on Community College IT Student Decision-Makingpublished in 2024.
The four authors of the study sought to determine the impact of IT-related hobbies on students’ career decisions, among other things. To arrive at their results, they observed and analyzed 43 students at the Ivy Tech Community College School of Information Technology in Indiana for three years. And what they discovered may well sweep away preconceived ideas and the concerns of some parents…
Because experts have found that many teens’ favorite pastime, playing video games, can open the door to a well-paid career in the tech sector. In fact, by playing certain games, young people unwittingly develop computer skills that are highly sought after in certain positions. In particular, in the new technology, engineering and project management sectors. Some learn alone in their bedrooms how to code, build PCs, modify video games, manage servers, etc. In the study, of the 43 students, more than the majority began developing an interest in video games, coding and technology in general during their childhood, before moving on to a career in this sector.
“Students don’t realize it at first, but playing video games and having hobbies related to that is often very useful when choosing a career and even when looking for a job. For example, if they host a Minecraft server for their friends, they could use those skills and lessons to specialize in server administration and, later, perhaps to pursue a career in that field of computer science,” explained one of the researchers, Eliza Peterson. Knowing that the technology sector has been booming in recent years, particularly with the arrival of AI, your child has every interest in continuing to be interested in these fields, with your support, while of course making sure to limit the time exposed to screens.