Survey on the usage frequency of computer games among children in Germany 2022

In 2022, around 60 percent of children in Germany played computer games at least once a week. Out of these, 23 percent played nearly every day. 29 percent of children stated that they never played online games. Playing computer games Although there are divided opinions about the effects of computer games on a developing brain, for some, computer games provide the opportunity to escape to a fantasy land and switch off from the outside world. The most popular computer game among children was the sandbox game, Minecraft. The game was first released in 2011 and has managed to sustain its popularity throughout the years. The game itself has no specific aim, but players can collect and “mine” blocks in order to build structures. Worldwide, Minecraft has sold over 300 million copies, showing that its popularity is not just limited to Germany. The development of the internet Whilst those currently in their mid-20s to early 30s grew up with very limited access to the internet, with smartphones only becoming widespread as they entered their teenage years, for children growing up now the internet is just a few clicks away for most of them. They can also undertake a wide range of activities on their devices. Over half of children aged six to 13 in Germany sent WhatsApp messages every day. Other popular activities included watching movies, YouTube, or using search engines to look something up. Although most of these activities are harmless, or sometimes even educational, there is a darker side to the internet. Five percent of children reported having seen content that was not suitable for children, and three percent saw something that made them uncomfortable. There are certain measures that adults can take to limit incidences such as this, but they are not failsafe. For example, almost 60 percent of female adolescents in the U.S. reported receiving unsolicited messages on Instagram that made them uncomfortable, and this is a trend that is applicable worldwide.

2022年，德国约60%的儿童每周至少玩一次电脑游戏。其中，23%的儿童几乎每天都在玩游戏。29%的儿童表示他们从未玩过在线游戏。尽管关于电脑游戏对发育中大脑的影响存在分歧，但对于一些人来说，电脑游戏提供了逃离现实、沉浸于幻想世界的途径。在儿童中，最受欢迎的电脑游戏是沙盒游戏Minecraft（我的世界）。该游戏于2011年首次发布，并成功保持了其多年来的流行度。游戏本身并无特定目标，但玩家可以收集和挖掘方块来构建结构。全球范围内，Minecraft的销量已超过3亿份，显示出其受欢迎程度并不仅限于德国。随着互联网的发展，目前25至35岁的年轻人成长过程中互联网接入极为有限，而在他们进入青少年时期，智能手机才开始普及。而对于现在成长起来的儿童，互联网对大多数人来说只需轻点几下鼠标即可触及。他们可以在设备上从事各种活动。在德国，6至13岁的儿童中，超过一半每天都发送WhatsApp消息。其他流行的活动包括观看电影、YouTube或使用搜索引擎查找信息。尽管这些活动大多无害，甚至有时具有教育意义，但互联网也存在阴暗面。5%的儿童报告称，他们看到了不适合儿童的内容，3%的儿童看到了令他们感到不适的内容。成年人可以采取某些措施来限制这类事件的发生，但这些措施并非万无一失。例如，美国近60%的女性青少年报告称，她们在Instagram上收到了令她们感到不适的未经请求的消息，这一趋势在全球范围内都适用。