Video games and Unemployment

[Archertwin]

The Economist posted a story about a study linking Male Unemployment and Video Games. 

 

What do you guys think of this? Do you think it paints gamers with a broad brush?

It seems to ignore the rise of jobs created by video gaming, from YouTubers like LTT to Pro Gamers. 

 

https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/03/economist-explains-24

https://www.1843magazine.com/features/escape-to-another-world

[System Error Message]

https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/12/jann-mardenborough-nissan-le-mans-24-playstation-world-endurancempionship

https://www.esportsearnings.com/leagues/141-starcraft-ii-world-championship-series

Now who says video games amount to nothing? This guy gets to be a driver in one of the toughest racing in history, esports is competitive and rewarding like old school sports. Need i say more?

 

[Mooshi]

Well, being employed certainly eats away at my video game time.

[System Error Message]

video games arent a cause of unemployment. unemployed people have more time so they play games.

[Mooshi]

2 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

video games arent a cause of unemployment. unemployed people have more time so they play games.

^ basically

[Anghammarad]

4 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

video games arent a cause of unemployment. unemployed people have more time so they play games.

yes and no.

 

If someone gets "addicted" too much to gaming and gets distracted at work, or doesn't get enough sleep to perform normally at work, come in late etc... then gaming and its consequences might lead to unemployment.

[System Error Message]

2 minutes ago, Anghammarad said:

yes and no.

 

If someone gets "addicted" too much to gaming and gets distracted at work, or doesn't get enough sleep to perform normally at work, come in late etc... then gaming and its consequences might lead to unemployment.

read post 2, video gaming is a job  .

[Atmos]

Correlation does not equal causation.

 

Its also true that as the job market gets harder, more people don't have jobs and thus have more free time, so they play more games.

 

Games do not make people unemployed, period.

[Jito463]

4 minutes ago, Anghammarad said:

yes and no.

 

If someone gets "addicted" too much to gaming and gets distracted at work, or doesn't get enough sleep to perform normally at work, come in late etc... then gaming and its consequences might lead to unemployment.

You mean like this guy?  

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/12/27/man-sues-bethesda-because-fallout-4-is-too-addictive/#618e93295bd6

[AshleyAshes]

The study really only shows coloration but not causation.  While 'Video games leads to living at home and being unemployed' is a sexy conclusion that gets you headlines, the inverse, 'Unemployment leads to living at home and playing video games' yields only a 'No, duh.' in response.

[linkboy]

5 minutes ago, Anghammarad said:

yes and no.

 

If someone gets "addicted" too much to gaming and gets distracted at work, or doesn't get enough sleep to perform normally at work, come in late etc... then gaming and its consequences might lead to unemployment.

 

But that can be applied to anything. Video games, movies, the internet, sex, etc. People can become addicted to lots of different things.

 

The issue isn't video games. Those are just one symptom of the real problem, the addiction itself.

[Anghammarad]

Just now, linkboy said:

 

But that can be applied to anything. Video games, movies, the internet, sex, etc. People can become addicted to lots of different things.

 

The issue isn't video games. Those are just one symptom of the real problem, the addiction itself.

Sometimes it is a way of the human to escape reality... 

 

I know all kinds of reasons why one can get addicted... I usually get addicted when new to a game... that lasts for some days, to weeks... usually until I hit max level with the first alt and get it equipped. 

 

Was nice to have my wife at my side, enjoying the same games... but now... I'm a single camper, and with that most fun is gone in games...

[Archertwin]

2 minutes ago, AshleyAshes said:

The study really only shows coloration but not causation.  While 'Video games leads to living at home and being unemployed' is a sexy conclusion that gets you headlines, the inverse, 'Unemployment leads to living at home and playing video games' yields only a 'No, duh.' in response.

1

 I really like your conclusion. Do you think this study will de-legitimize the video game industry and gaming in general? 

[Mooshi]

6 minutes ago, Jito463 said:

You mean like this guy?  

 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/insertcoin/2015/12/27/man-sues-bethesda-because-fallout-4-is-too-addictive/#618e93295bd6

lol, what a loser to sue for that.

[linkboy]

6 minutes ago, Anghammarad said:

Sometimes it is a way of the human to escape reality... 

 

I know all kinds of reasons why one can get addicted... I usually get addicted when new to a game... that lasts for some days, to weeks... usually until I hit max level with the first alt and get it equipped. 

 

Was nice to have my wife at my side, enjoying the same games... but now... I'm a single camper, and with that most fun is gone in games...

I definitely agree that it's a way to escape reality, there's been many a Zelda game that's dragged me into Hyrule for a good amount of time.

 

My point was more towards the overlying issue. I think there's a big misconception on how addiction is treated. There was a TED talk I watched a while ago on a different way to treat addiction, but I can't find a link to it right now.

 

edit

Found it

 

[captain_to_fire]

29 minutes ago, Archertwin said:

The Economist posted a story about a study linking Male Unemployment and Video Games. 

 

What do you guys think of this? Do you think it paints gamers with a broad brush?

It seems to ignore the rise of jobs created by video gaming, from YouTubers like LTT to Pro Gamers. 

 

https://www.economist.com/blogs/economist-explains/2017/03/economist-explains-24

https://www.1843magazine.com/features/escape-to-another-world

Doesn't fit the TN&R specifications. Expect this thread to be moved by a mod soon.

Also, correlation doesn't always mean causation. I'd rather see a study with larger sample size. 

[Unclescar]

Plenty has been said about how people with lots of freetime will play video games to fill that time whether they have a job or not. I know I got a TON of video gaming in while working over full time hours in the restaurant business, but that was also before I was married. Video games did not cause unemployment.

Now, if you are failing at work due to video games, showing up late because you gamed too long, or calling out "sick" to get more gaming in, then yes, video games can indirectly lead to unemployment.
Secondly, if you are already unemployed and you spend all of your time gaming instead of looking for work, then again, video games can indirectly continue unemployment.

Here's the thing though, indirectly. The reason that someone lost their job was not because they gamed, but because they prioritized gaming over work and were a bad employee. They did not lose their job because they played games, they lost their job because they were playing games when they were supposed to be working.
The reason that someone continues being jobless is not because they play games, but because they prioritize gaming over finding work. They aren't unemployed because they game, they are unemployed because they were playing games when they should have been looking for work.

Games aren't the problem, priorities and self moderation are the problem.
We live at a time where everyone and everything is to blame for someone's behavior except the person doing that behavior. Instead of blaming your kid for playing games all day instead of doing their chores, it's not the games fault, its the kid's for choosing to do the games instead, and yours for allowing it.

Games are fun! but unless the game IS your job, you need to put it down a notch or six in your list of priorities.

[Clanscorpia]

38 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

read post 2, video gaming is a job  .

To very, very, very, very few people

[System Error Message]

14 minutes ago, Clanscorpia said:

To very, very, very, very few people

yeah but its a counter to the article. Article says games cause unemployment, but history shows people who have gone off to get really good jobs because of video games from being a racing driver to esports.

[DeScruff]

53 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

video games arent a cause of unemployment. unemployed people have more time so they play games.

Exactly. Applying for a job(s) isn't a 40 hours a week thing. So obviously I'm gonna spend my free time while waiting for a response to my application, or whatever doing something I like: AKA: Videogames.

Next headline: Videogames cause kids to have a lack of school and studying between the months of June - August.

[SCHISCHKA]

1 hour ago, Archertwin said:

What do you guys think of this? Do you think it paints gamers with a broad brush?

 

if you have no job then you will have more time for recreation, duh. Its better than drinking and other drugs.

[Clanscorpia]

8 minutes ago, System Error Message said:

yeah but its a counter to the article. Article says games cause unemployment, but history shows people who have gone off to get really good jobs because of video games from being a racing driver to esports.

History shows people who whine get paid millions of dollars. Very very few people get opportunities like that from video games 

[System Error Message]

Just now, Clanscorpia said:

History shows people who whine get paid millions of dollars. Very very few people get opportunities like that from video games 

thats because in those cases its just cheaper to pay them millions to shut them up. If i had a company making games and someone tried that on me i'd just pull out of the country

[Techicolors]

16 minutes ago, Sypran said:

Exactly. Applying for a job(s) isn't a 40 hours a week thing. So obviously I'm gonna spend my free time while waiting for a response to my application, or whatever doing something I like: AKA: Videogames.

Next headline: Videogames cause kids to have a lack of school and studying between the months of June - August.

or one sits for weeks for a response, then you get declined or no response. its a vicious cycle 

[tlink]

5 hours ago, linkboy said:

 

But that can be applied to anything. Video games, movies, the internet, sex, etc. People can become addicted to lots of different things.

 

The issue isn't video games. Those are just one symptom of the real problem, the addiction itself.

well thats not really true, video games are part of the problem. the stem of the problem is our own reward center. loads of things can be addicting, some things are made to be really rewarding and thus addicting. like drugs, music, tv, games, casino's. all things exploiting that easy reward for money. i don't think we can pinpoint it on one thing, in the end society as a whole is responsible for the situation because we all contribute to it in our own way's.