When it comes to your teens building connections with friends, you might think turning off screens and going outside is the key. But actually, Gen Z credits a different sort of past-time with fostering their social skills — and surprisingly, parents actually agree!
According to a new study, Gen Z believes that playing video games is helping build their social skills. The Entertainment Software Association (ESA) released its annual Essential Facts About the U.S. Video Game Industry Report in June 2025, which found that 89% of Gen Z (ages 13-28) believe video games can introduce them to new friends and relationships. Interestingly enough, the majority of boomers (ages 61-79) and the Silent Generation (ages 80-90) actually agree with that statement, showing it’s not just teens finding the benefit.
Playing With Friends & Parents
The survey included mobile games, PC games, console games, and VR devices. It found that 55% of all players ages 8-90 play video games with others weekly, and 72% have ever played a game with others (that percentage jumps to 93% for Gen Z). Additionally, 70% of Gen Z and 61% of millennials (ages 29-44) have met people through video games that they otherwise would not have met, with 63% of Gen Z and 49% of millennials saying they met a good friend or significant other through video games.
Gen Alpha (ages 8-12) were also included in the study, with 79% of Gen Alpha and Gen Z saying that they play video games with their friends, and 55% of Gen Alpha play with their parents. In fact, compared to total adults, parents are more likely to play video games, with 82% saying that play video games with their children. Some of the primary reasons for this include it being fun for everyone (61%), it’s a good way to socialize with their kids and spend time with the family (55%), and it teaches kids skills like problem solving and creative thinking (51%).
Credit: Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash
Vitaly Gariev/Unsplash
Considering there are 205 million active video gamers ages 5-90 in the US, which is 64% of the 5-90 US population, it’s encouraging to see these benefits for gamers! And it’s not just boys. Girls accounted for 47% of all players.
“Video games are a powerful cultural force due to their widespread appeal across every demographic as a fun and beneficial way to spend time,” ESA President and CEO Stanley Pierre-Louis said in a statement. “With nearly two-thirds of Americans regularly playing, it’s important to recognize that the nation’s most beloved form of entertainment also provides mental stimulation, stress relief and meaningful social connection that extends well beyond the moment of play.”
The Type of Video Game Matters
Other recent research has shown positive benefits for video games and kids as well. A 2024 study in the Games for Health Journal of male students in fourth through sixth grades in Iran found that certain video games increased social skills I the elementary school students. They found that Clash of Clans “promoted appropriate social behaviors and peer relationships,” and Fortnite had “a significant positive effect on peer relationships.”
On the other hand, Mortal Kombat had “a negative and significant effect on aggression and nonsocial behaviors compared to other games.” The findings also suggest that longer time spent playing video games is linked to negative social skills, no matter what type of game they play.
Video Games Provide Brain Benefits
A 2022 study of elementary school students in Pediatrics found that on average, video gamers demonstrated “better cognitive performance” and stronger signals from areas of the brain associated with visual, attention, and memory processing, compared to non-video gamers. (Note: these benefits happened when the kids were actively playing the game as opposed to watching someone else play.)
Parents have been concerned about video games since they were invented — sometimes for good reason! — but the narrative is changing. Maybe it’s because parents have seen the benefits of gaming firsthand when we were younger, or because older generations are finding comfort in video games now too. Either way, it’s encouraging that many people are connecting with others via video games, and parents are able to build connections with their children this way too.
Before you go, check out these celebrities who have shared their technology rules for their kids.
