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Nearly A Third Of Parents Play Video Games With Kids

Once thought to be a pastime for geeky teenagers, video games have now become family entertainment. According to video game industry group the Entertainment Software Association, 35 percent, or about one in three parents, say they play games, and 80 percent of that segment say they play these games with their kids. The survey found that the average "gamer parent" spends 19 hours a month playing video games--and about half that time playing alongside their children. Two thirds of these parents say video games have brought them closer to their families. As one parent notes, "Kids are going to play what they want to play, and parents are better off getting involved instead of sitting on the sidelines." Other findings reveal that the average age of a typical gamer parent is 37, and almost half are women. Just over a quarter of these gamer parents started playing the same time their children did. The survey polled 501 parents with children between the ages of 2 and 17.

Read the whole story at Associated Press »

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