Video games are helping Americans ‘escape’ their life in COVID isolation

NEW YORK — When you’re living in lockdown for the better part of a year, it’s hard to find a place in your home that’s new. A new survey finds three-quarters of Americans feel they need to escape the real world due to the stress of COVID-19.

The OnePoll study asked 2,000 Americans how they’ve been coping with quarantine and finds 65 percent are struggling to find a quarantine-hobby they can stick with. Many have tried to fill their time in various ways. Some of the top activities respondents have done to stay busy during this time include playing video games, binge-watching TV shows, reading, and completing crossword puzzles. Once respondents did find a quarantine hobby, 68 percent said they don’t know how they lived without it.

Gaming Nostalgia

Commissioned by World of Warships by Wargaming, the survey reveals 71 percent of respondents started playing video games more often during quarantine than they were before the pandemic. To escape the stress of isolation and COVID-19, 63 percent of those surveyed are playing more immersive role-playing video games than ever before. Just over a third of respondents are also turning to nostalgia to combat their stress by playing classic video games.

How video games have brought people together

Two in three people (66%) said they’ve been able to reconnect with their younger self by playing video games during quarantine. Another 66 percent of respondents have reconnected with old friends through gaming during the last year. Sixty-three percent add they don’t think they’d be in touch with their friends as much without video games.

The top people respondents are playing video games with on a regular basis, however, are their own children. More than six in 10 Americans (62%) say this has brought them closer together than ever before. Thirty-four percent are also connecting with their siblings through video games and three in 10 people have played with old college friends.

READ MORE: Violent Video Games & Mental Health: 5 Debunked Myths To Ease Your Worries – Study Finds

Gaming Nostalgia

“As the data shows, it’s very apparent that video games provided a much-needed distraction and served as an important connector during quarantine,” says Artur Plociennik, Regional Publishing Director, World of Warships in a statement. “Whether you’re revisiting a game from your childhood or your child is introducing you to a new game – anyone can find a game that peaks their interest today.”

The midday game break?

Respondents working from home also admitted to playing video games during the work day. These workday gamers sneak in an average of four game breaks a week. Along with stopping to finish the next level of their favorite games, respondents admit they’re also playing video games in some unusual places – including on the toilet.

The most common places respondents say they play video games include in the middle of a conversation with someone in their household and at the dinner table. Another three in 10 Americans working from home admit to playing video games during a work conference call.

“Whether you’re in the same household or across the globe, it’s easier than ever to bring friends and family together to play, strategize – and even learn a bit about naval history with World of Warships,” Plociennik adds.

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