Let’s ditch the tired tropes about video games – and research their impact properly | Pete Etchells

No, gaming isn't a niche, violence-inducing pastime, it's the defining entertainment medium of our time. We should treat it as such

Over the past few years, it feels as if there has been a subtle shift in the way that we view video games. That classic trope of games being a socially isolating experience, primarily within the purview of angry, pallid teenage boys, seems increasingly tired and outdated - because it is. Video games are no longer a niche, nerdy pastime. Much the opposite: they are one of, or perhaps the defining entertainment medium of the 21st century. One estimate puts the total number of people across the globe who play video games at 3.09 billion, with data from the US suggesting that two-thirds of American adults play them, with a fairly even split between men and women.

But, even though we've moved past the most strongly negative characterisations of video games and become more accustomed to them, they're still viewed with a certain level of suspicion. And we're still presented with a seemingly endless cycle of scare stories in the news about their detrimental effects. I'm a firm believer in the huge potential of video games as a force for good in our lives, and I've written before about the benefits they can have - their ability to connect us and to allow us to explore and understand our emotions and attitudes. Nevertheless, the broad-level discussion about their impact seems to be at an impasse: games are becoming ever more popular, while commenters are often stuck in a simplistic back and forth about whether they are good or bad for us.

Pete Etchells is a professor of psychology and science communication at Bath Spa University. He is the author of Lost in a Good Game and Unlocked