Watching other people play video games may not be something that you, as a parent, understand. The truth, however, is that it isn’t weird. It’s called esports and its popularity has grown in leaps and bounds. In fact, the recently released Kleiner Perkins 2017 Internet Trends report states that the popularity of esports has grown 40% every year. Also, 40% of the demographic that your kids belong in (millennials) even state that they prefer esports to traditional sports.
Esports is growing all over the world it allows those with video game skills to test their abilities against the best on our globe. Most esport competitions begin with online qualifying matches and then culminate in an actual tournament style playoff in front of a live, and online audience. You can find an esports league for pretty much any video game you play. There are sports gaming leagues, Role Playing Game leagues, first person shooter game leagues, and even leagues and competitions for the most casual of puzzle games.
Not all video gaming entertainment is competition based. “Let’s Play” video games on YouTube and LiveStreams on Twitch have also seen a massive increase in popularity. These videos feature gamers playing their favorite games and narrating their experience while thousands of fans watch and comment on the videos. On Twitch, streamers react in real time to the comment section or “twitch chat” allowing them to engage with their viewers and even let those watching help them make in-game decisions and strategies. These Let’s Play gamers build large communities that are extremely faithful and supportive. Many have even been able to make gaming their full time job because of ad revenue and the generosity of their viewing community.
What Parents Should Know
First of all I recommend you take the idea of esports being a fad out of your mind completely. The truth is that esports is simply the next phase of the same video game culture that started while or before you were even a child. When people start to do something that takes any level of skill, opportunities to measure your skill against opponents will soon follow. Then, of course comes the chance to play for money since these competitions will surely draw a crowd who will pay for the privilege to be entertained by your tournament. Just think about poker or chess or cheerleading. These are all things that many start out doing as a hobby but there is a real competitive culture for these activities and therefore, a real industry. Video Gaming is no different.
As far as your kids’ safety, I recommend that you know what games and gamers they like to watch. Get into that world a little bit for yourself and learn who these people are that your kid is watching play. There are adults that play games you kids love on YouTube but they don’t use very kid friendly language while they play. There are also people on YouTube who play very adult oriented games. You should have a general idea who your kids are viewing and what kind of content they share. The best way to do this is to share their YouTube and Twitch account and keep an eye on who they follow or subscribe to and their viewing history. I know this just adds more pieces to the internet safety puzzle but it’s worth the effort.
