Are Video Games Leaving You Unemployed?
Video games are becoming more sophisticated and visually appealing, so it should come as no surprise that more and more people are attracted to them these days . But this new era of engaging digital entertainment may have a dark side for unemployed young people.
It may sound like an old man is screaming from his rocking chair, but kids these days seem to be more interested in escaping reality than diving into the job market. A preliminary report from economists at Princeton, the University of Rochester and the University of Chicago suggests a strong link between e-leisure and unemployment rates for men in their 20s and 20s.
According to them, the employment rate of young people without higher education has dropped significantly since 2000, and many of these unemployed men are unmarried and live with their parents or other family members. The lack of work and responsibility means that they have more time for leisure, and games take up 75% of that time. In fact, the report suggests that up to one-third of the shrinking work hours for men in this group could be attributed to increased use of technology for entertainment. In fact, many young people without college degrees live in their parents’ basement, playing video games all day. But why?
First, research indicates that video games are becoming more and more sophisticated over time. Games are now a multibillion dollar industry filled with beautiful, addicting games that can take up to 100 hours to create. In an immersive virtual world, it is much easier to get lost than before. But it’s not just how beautiful video games are now. As Eric Hirst, one of the report’s lead authors, explained in an interview with Econ Focus , living a leisure lifestyle is also a little easier than it used to be:
In 1980, if you were in your 20s and didn’t work, you were pretty isolated. You were sitting alone. You could watch several channels on TV, but no one else was there. Now, if you’re not working, you can be online on social media or playing video games online, which makes being out of work more attractive than before. And these video games and recreational products tend to be relatively cheap compared to what they were in 1980. So when you choose to work in relation to your reserve wage, your reserve wage rises slightly, because the outside option of not working is much more attractive.
You no longer need a workplace to interact with people, so when it comes to finding a job, there is much less social motivation. And games give you instant pleasure and a sense of reward every time you sit down to play. Everything you need is in your home – satisfaction, social interaction, and purpose – and it’s cheap. I mean, who honestly doesn’t enjoy spending some lengthy, irresponsible time playing games, watching movies, and reading books? Heck, I know I would disappear headlong into Persona 5 for a few weeks if I didn’t work now.
However, it is best not to jump to conclusions based on this data alone, especially since this study is preliminary and has not yet been published in a peer-reviewed journal. Despite the obvious link between the two, video games are certainly not the only cause of unemployment among young people. They are most likely a side effect of the current economic situation as well as the ever-growing popularity of games in our culture. Basically, video games are a fun way to pass your time and feel good when you have too much free time.
Still, it’s a good idea to regard this as a cautionary tale. Running away from reality has its advantages, but too much time and energy is spent on more productive endeavors , such as taking care of the daily necessities and finding a job. You don’t have to give up games, but it doesn’t hurt to see how much you actually play. If your professional life isn’t picking up steam, it might be time to cut your time and use that time for something more profitable. After all, if you spend most of your time saving virtual worlds, you won’t have time to actively engage in saving your own.