Most children and teenagers want to give video games as gifts for the holidays

(WSAZ) – Black Friday is one of the best opportunities for holiday shopping, and chances are if you have a teenager at home, they’re interested in video games.

The Entertainment Software Association found that video games are the number one gift for children.

The ESA spoke to adults and children about what they’d like to receive in gifts this year, and the results may surprise you.

“Seventy-six percent of 10-17 year olds said they wanted something related to video games, putting video games ahead of all other gifts, including clothing and accessories, money and gift cards,” said Aubrey Quinn, senior vice president . in the Entertainment Software Association.

Quinn says 50% of kids want a new games console.

“When we talk about consoles, we talk about Microsoft Xbox, Sony PlayStation or Nintendo Switch,” Quinn said. “If you don’t already have one of those, that’s probably what they want.”

Quinn, a father of three, understands the concern about having gaming systems at home, but offers a different perspective on gaming.

“It’s a good reminder that not all screen time is the same,” she said. “Video games are a really active form of screen time. When children play games, they use their minds and cognitive skills. They learn to read, they learn strategy.”

Quinn says every device you can play video games on has parental controls.

“They have become a powerful tool in my own home,” Quinn said. “Parental controls allow you to set time limits so that kids don’t spend too much time, or you can limit certain times of the day or days of the week.”

You can also set parental controls on age-rated games so that kids stay in games that are appropriate for them, and on player-to-player communication so that kids can’t chat with strangers online.

“There are a lot of tools that allow parents to control the play process,” Quinn said.

All video games have a rating system from “E for Everyone” to “M for Mature” which can help you choose the right games for your family.