It's no secret that over the last decade or so, gaming has officially gone mainstream. Gone is the perception that gaming is only for shut-in kids or socially reclusive adults. Nearly everyone games to some degree, whether on a smartphone or the latest gaming console, and gaming is embraced as a hobby and a way to unwind.
In fact, a recent study found that gaming is now of It's a way to relax, and gaming is ranked #1 of the top 10 most popular hobbies in Massachusetts (and the country, but only locally), according to a survey by the Interventional Pain Management and Orthopedic Spine Center.
“One of the reasons we're turning tois that everyone wants to find time to relax, but it's a question of time, space and motivation that may not always be met through traditional ways of playing,” said Paul Kotnoa, dean of the Becker School of Design and Technology at Clark University in Worcester.
All work and no play…
“No matter how far back in human history we go, play has always been an important part of life and has improved our well-being in many ways,” Cotnoir said.
This statement is consistent with the survey findings: At least six of the top 10 hobbies involved some form of gaming, including video games, including golf (4th), football (5th), basketball (6th), chess (7th) and tennis (10th).
Cotnoir believes gambling has an advantage over other sports because it poses fewer logistical problems today: Golf courses and tennis courts need to be booked in advance, and it's harder to organize football or basketball games outside of schools.
“Video games, like cell phones and television, are a natural fit for our limited time and space,” Cotnoir says. “They're right there, and they provide easy access to positive play experiences.”
Bridging the digital divide
Although games don't necessarily meet in person like sports do, they are by no means solitary and can actually provide opportunities for socialization that might not be available otherwise.
“Modern life tends to separate us,” Cotnoir says. “Gaming fosters a sense of belonging. Even when you're playing a small mobile game like Candy Crush, you're talking about it with your friends, so it's a social experience.”
The internet makes this possible, and this, more than anything else, may affect the game's ranking in other parts of the country. With an increasing number of games having an online multiplayer component as a major draw, gaming's popularity as a hobby will be proportional to the quality of a state's internet infrastructure, although Cotnoir said this could be an issue in rural areas far from urban population centers, where people will naturally gravitate toward other forms of play and stress relief.
The disparity in access this causes is called the digital divide, he said. “The internet[infrastructure]is pretty good in the North,” so gaming will rank higher in places like Massachusetts. The same is true on the West Coast, but the problem will be even more pronounced in Midwestern states, where the distances between major cities are greater.
What other hobbies are popular in Massachusetts?
The researchers analyzed monthly Google searches in each state and across the nation over the past 12 months.[hobby] class', '[hobby] Lessons and learning [hobby]'. We added up the total number of monthly searches for each.
In Massachusetts, gaming turned out to be the most popular hobby with an average monthly search volume of 80,458. Kayaking (72,368 searches) came in second, with gym-going (56,210) a distant third.
| Rank | hobby | Average monthly searches |
| 1. | game | 80,458 |
| 2. | Kayaking | 72,368 |
| 3. | Gym | 56,210 |
| Four. | golf | 46,780 |
| Five. | football | 37,959 |
| 6. | basketball | 36,103 |
| 7. | chess | 35,518 |
| 8. | yoga | 34,372 |
| 9. | Jiu-jitsu | 27,217 |
| Ten. | tennis | 26,968 |
The top three reflect national results, with football and basketball moving up one spot, dropping golf to No. 6. Yoga, jiu-jitsu and tennis appear to be popular sports unique to Massachusetts, failing to crack the national top 10.
| Rank | hobby | Nationwide average monthly Google searches |
| 1. | game | 4,400,647 |
| 2. | Kayaking | 2,163,743 |
| 3. | Gym | 2,078,328 |
| Four. | football | 1,921,616 |
| Five. | basketball | 1,592,843 |
| 6. | golf | 1,467,143 |
| 7. | camp | 1,398,703 |
| 8. | chess | 1,375,356 |
| 9. | fishing | 1,342,856 |
| Ten. | drawing | 1,248,328 |
Games are a force for good
Gaming and schoolwork aren't necessarily mutually exclusive, as some may say: Studies have shown that kids who play games for more than three hours a day perform better on cognitive tests, Kotnoa says.
But that's not the only reason he sees gaming's popularity as a hopeful sign: “Gaming crosses all socio-economic, racial, gender and political boundaries,” he says, meaning games can be a powerful tool for bringing people together and bridging normally insurmountable divides, like politics.
“Gaming can be a great force for good,” he said. “Technology can change the world.”
