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It’s a reality many parents are familiar with: Teens spend countless hours in front of their screens, often playing video games. But what may seem like a simple distraction could actually be a gateway to a lucrative career. A recent study from Rutgers University found that time spent playing video games can actually prepare kids for high-paying jobs in the tech sector.
If you think your child is wasting his time developing worlds in video games, or handling a joystick or simply assembling his computer, this study might just change your mind. Entitled “Not “Just a Hobby”: The Influence of Early Interest and Hobbies on Community College IT Student Decision-Making“, the report was conducted among 43 students at the Ivy Tech Community College School of Information Technology in Indiana (United States) over three years. In this study, researchers from Rutgers University (New Jersey) highlight the skills that young people develop by playing video games. These include problem solving, critical thinking and team collaboration. These skills are highly valued in the world of work, particularly in the fields of technology, engineering and project management.
Of these 43 students, more than half became interested in video games, coding, and technology in general at a young age, before moving on to a career in this field.
A booming market
The video game industry is booming and offers many job opportunities. According to the study, salaries in this field are also attractive, with game developer positions reaching annual salaries of $104,420 compared to $48,060 for the average annual salary, according to US government figures as of May 2023.
“Students don’t realize it right away, but playing video games and having related hobbies is often very helpful when choosing a career and even when looking for a job.” said Eliza Peterson, research analyst and lead author of the study.For example, if they host a Minecraft server for their friends, they can apply those skills and lessons to a major in server administration and, later, a career in that field of information technology.“.
On the employment side, the market is booming with more than 377,000 jobs in the IT and technology sector expected each year. According to forecasts, the job market is expected to grow much faster than other professions by 2032. A growth of 25% for software developers and 32% for information security analysts is also expected.
The advice is simple for experts: parents should believe in their children and support them.Parents and professionals may want to keep these findings in mind, encouraging and fostering information technology-related hobbies and interests, and helping individuals understand that skills learned in their leisure activities can be useful in local college courses, and even in the job market.“.