Video Games Bring Young People Together

Mental health problems dominate headlines about gaming. But esports millions of fans do not feed the addiction, they seek kinship. 

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At family gatherings, I am the de facto tech whisperer - a role my father has assigned me, who, bewildered by live streaming and electronic sport, asks me for help. Over the last few years, I have worked as a video game reporter, giving me unprecedented access to this growing industry, which has grown from a hobby devised in internet cafes in South Korea to a professional rival football. 

Until this summer, the huge increase in video game popularity - played competitively and viewed by millions on streaming websites such as Twitch, or seen live with thousands of others in Colosseum-like sports arenas - had passed many people over the age of 35. But few managed to escape the headlines about the Fortnite World Cup and the $ 3 million (£ 2.4 million) winner. There were 100 finalists in the New York tournament, many between 12 and 16 years old, reduced from a total of around 40 million - yes, that's right - who tried to qualify. They competed for a total prize pool of $ 30 million - the largest ever for such an event. 

These games are collectively known as esports, and the number of young people she plays is really huge. Fortnite: Battle Royale has more than 250 million players, making it one of the most popular video games in the world, in addition to the virtual football game Fifa. 

In addition to the players, 30% of internet users now watch live streams of people playing video games, according to the GlobalWebIndex research agency. This corresponds to a worldwide audience of just over 1 billion people. And next year, technical consulting firm Activate suggests that 70 million people watch a single esports final - higher than the total for the American professional baseball, soccer, and hockey final. It is not surprising that more than half of those who watch esports tournaments are between 16 and 34. Only 10% are between 45 and 54, while people over 55 only make up 6%. 

For many in an older generation, the rise of esports makes alarm bells ring. Reports from children who spend a lot of time and money on games have become commonplace. Even Prince Harry offered rare public criticism earlier this year. "That game [Fornite] should not be allowed," he said. "It is made to be addicted, an addiction to keep you behind a computer for as long as possible. 

It is so irresponsible." And there are many stories about parents trying to control the "dangerous" playing habits of their children. In an interview after his success at Fortnite, Essex teenager Jaden Ashman, who shared a $ 2.25 million prize with his partner, recalled how the game affected his relationship with his mother, who admitted that her 15-year-old headphones broke and threw away his Xbox. 

Of course, there will be some children and young people for whom long hours of playing computer games cause psychological problems. The World Health Organization recognized 'game disorders' as a medical condition last year and the NHS plans to open the UK's first specialist clinic for the treatment of addicts to computer games. 

Although the fear of the rise of e-sport is great, games in League and Legends, Dota 2 and Fortnite in bedrooms and internet cafes around the world have become a cultural phenomenon that separates young people from different regions and religions and bridges. Snakes, inner jokes and dance movements flow out as if they were a proto-society. Idols are made from their best players - just ordinary teenagers and twenties who crave their teeth in competitive competitions and then develop their own huge followers through social media and online streams. 

Faker, the best League of Legends player in South Korea, has more supporters in the country than its biggest professional football player, Son Heung-min, currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur. Tyler "Ninja" Blevins, the world's most popular professional gamer, with an average of 65,000 viewers per online competition and is live-streamed with rapper Drake, and was mentioned on the cover of the official magazine of the American sports channel, ESPN, reportedly $ 500,000 per month. For comparison, the winners of this year's Wimbledon tennis championship, Simona Halep and Novak Djokovic, received $ 2.7 million, while Tiger Woods earned $ 2.09 million for his win at the US Masters golf tournament. 

Game developers are now working on cultivating a pipeline or new athletes, and modelling themselves on development pipelines or traditional sports competitions. Today, more than 125 colleges in the US have esports scholarships, with more than $ 9 million in students since 2017. Perhaps they recognize that instead of threatening the health of future generations, esports can develop many of the same skills and abilities as a traditional sport - from team building to leadership, mental strength and cognitive skills. 

While I can understand why older people feel uncomfortable about the emergence of a phenomenon they know little about and feel excluded from, it may be time to be a little more open to the potential benefits of esports. Fortnite and Fifa now talk about rugby and football in the same way. There is even an ePremier League and Uefa eChampions League. And esports is mentioned as a possible Olympic sport. 

Their popularity may be about traditional sports, but they actually perform a surprisingly similar function, for a younger age group, for those who are filled by football terraces for their parents and grandparents. Because what draws us to these games is not the need to force a force. In most cases, it is kinship - a very old and tribal wish to be part of a group and one that forms the basis of every team sport.