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Kids today seem more interested in...

I have my grandson over. He's 10 years old.

I have an Xbox Series X, PS5 and a retro gaming console.

I set him up with the PS5 loaded with games he can play (and loads he likes), however, all he wants to do is watch people play games on YouTube.

Is this the society we are creating now?

I know back in the day we didn't have YouTube, but even so...

Is anyone else noticing this trend? Even when I offer to play with him as a 2 player, he isn't interested. All he wants to do is watch others play!
 

M1chl

Currently Gif and Meme Champion
Maybe it's that...maybe people feel alone. We didn't have the opportunity (well I probably dit, since I am just 32) to watch others playing games, however I watched people playing games in lan parties and shit. So maybe it's that. I don't think it's a laziness or anything like that. There must be something behind of why streamers are so popular these days.
 

Crocwrangler

Neo Member
Never understood the will of watching others play a game, if you can play it yourself. Especially games with choices and complex scenarios: i'd be crazy to see someone else choose to kill a character i like or explore the cave while the jungle seemed more interesting to me. Only thing i could end up watching is multiplayer games at really high competition level to see how skilled some players are, but i'd watch the 5 min best part.
Of course that s just an opinion and not everyone can afford to play games as he wants but that's a trend i don't really understand.
 

Gifmaker

Member
Never understood the will of watching others play a game, if you can play it yourself.
And still, millions of people watch the Superbowl and stuff like that. Maybe there is something to watching others play, though with gaming, it always puzzles me because more often than not, streamers are not exactly expert-level players. But then again, unlike NBA players and such, streamers will occasionally chat and talk with you, which makes you feel seen and validated in a sense.

It's kinda weird.
 

tassletine

Member
He's looking for human interaction.
He's at that age where he's beginning to become more self conscious about HOW he should react to something, so will stay away from you and his parents and gravitate towards people of his generation.
It's very normal, but looks less so when you can't go out of your house.
 
I think a lot of it is down to kids attention spans; playing games, as mentioned above, requires a lot of time etc
Kids like things in short bursts.
Plus - maybe failing negatively impacts them? I know when he plays a game and dies, he gives up straight away.
 

DGrayson

Mod Team and Bat Team
Staff Member
My son is 5. He loves playing games on my Wii U. We play a lot of coop as well.

I think one thing is that we dont let him watch that kind of programming on Youtube. Generally he is only allowed to watch "shows" and "cartoons". Similar to what we had when we were kids, but just a lot more choice! I would never let him watch a lets play or an unboxing of a toy etc.
 

Outlier

Member
What I find troubling is if he hasn't mentioned wanting to play with his friends or other kids.

Honestly if I were made to go to my grandparents home at the age of 10 I would rather be watching videos of people doing fun things or doing fun things myself (playing video games alone was NOT fun at 10 for me).

He's a kid and you're not. Kids want to play with other kids. Not with adults.

No disrespect to you. This is just how people are.
 
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rofif

Can’t Git Gud
Yep, just YT.
I've got my nephew ps4 and a bunch of games. He watched all rayman legends bosses on yt... but he didn't get there.
Generally I am noticing that watching YT is more gratyfing easier and faster for kids.
But I undesratand. After I am done with the game, I like to watch some streams to see how other peple react to the game. It's social
 
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Shubh_C63

Member
It's like even playing video games is too much work now. You can get your endorphins more easily by just watching.


I am definitely guilty of that. I love watching a skilled team take on a mission compared to my sorry ass and skills.
 
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cormack12

Gold Member
I think a lot of people these days watch things to purposefully avoid doing them. I watch high level COD play. This means I can have opinions about this game that are equally as important as those who regularly play and excel. Because I've watched so many hours, even though I don't play I know I could play at that level easily.

It follows the 'google and become an expert' behaviour we saw across reddits, forums etc.
 

Toots

Gold Member
When i was young the problem was to stop kids playing videogames, not make them play :messenger_tears_of_joy:

I think for a lot of people failure is unbearable in an age of constant staging and comparing one's life on social networks.
What is the best way to never fail?
Never try.
So everyone lives vicariously through youtubers and/or influencers who do not care to fail as they can only fail upward.

Maybe buy him a guitar or a drum kit?
Even if he doesn't play them now, he'll still have them growing up and can start when he feels like it.
 
When i was young the problem was to stop kids playing videogames, not make them play :messenger_tears_of_joy:

I think for a lot of people failure is unbearable in an age of constant staging and comparing one's life on social networks.
What is the best way to never fail?
Never try.
So everyone lives vicariously through youtubers and/or influencers who do not care to fail as they can only fail upward.

Maybe buy him a guitar or a drum kit?
Even if he doesn't play them now, he'll still have them growing up and can start when he feels like it.

I'm a guitarist and tried to teach him how to play. Sure, i'm not a teacher - but I am patient. However, he has no patience and if he can't do it right first time, it's "rubbish". Some kids strive to learn things - others can't be bothered. He doesn't learn any instruments at school (when I was at school, it was encouraged to learn something ie recorder, clarinet, etc) - so there's no 'enforced learning'. At home, if he doesn't want to learn it, he feels he shouldn't have to.

I know he's 10 and 2 years makes a difference - I started learning guitar when I was 12 or 13.

I'll see if there's something tailored towards his skills - he loves dinosaurs, nature etc
 

Con-Z-epT

Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
R.2be95e49c20cedf0b5c6e13747d5cd6f


Disgusting isn't it?! I will never understand this.
 

Con-Z-epT

Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
I watch high level COD play. This means I can have opinions about this game that are equally as important as those who regularly play and excel. Because I've watched so many hours, even though I don't play I know I could play at that level easily.
You can shape your opinion by watching but sure not your high level gaming skills.
 

jaysius

Banned
Simple solution. Get him a chair so he can watch you play games. Then ask if he wants to like and subscribe.
Also tell him a promo code for some overpriced Chinese trash every 15-20 minutes.

Fucking tubers and streamers are worse than the shopping channel these days.
 
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cormack12

Gold Member
You can shape your opinion by watching but sure not your high level gaming skills.

I didn't mean mean me lol. I don't play COD because I'm probably too crap to hold a decent kdr these days. That's why I play Battlefield. I can still be useful and come top of the leaderboard for playing the game even if I die shitloads. If I was still in my whippersnapper days, I'd be bouncing knoves off walls for headshots all day long.
 

Javthusiast

Banned
Not watching people play games on yt specifically, but I watch more yt than regular streaming services or playing games nowadays.
 

Saaleh

Banned
I may be wrong but you can try this,

Watch with him streamers, have fun figuring out each other. Eat with him. Connect with him in that space, Then [ tell him you will play something cool for an hour or Play with him ps5 or watch him play ps5] and then come back watching streams. Be flexible. Show him watching streams is fun but mixing is more fun, teach him that overdoing streaming will eventually become uncool and tiring.

It's like giving him a taste of food he never thought it exist, food that he can't understand yet. Eventually he will get used to doing both.

He is just too comfortable with the options he have.
 
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Con-Z-epT

Live from NeoGAF, it's Friday Night!
I didn't mean mean me lol. I don't play COD because I'm probably too crap to hold a decent kdr these days. That's why I play Battlefield. I can still be useful and come top of the leaderboard for playing the game even if I die shitloads. If I was still in my whippersnapper days, I'd be bouncing knoves off walls for headshots all day long.
Oh you meant that the kids these days believed they could play like that when watching others play?

Now i got you.
 

Toots

Gold Member
I'm a guitarist and tried to teach him how to play. Sure, i'm not a teacher - but I am patient. However, he has no patience and if he can't do it right first time, it's "rubbish". Some kids strive to learn things - others can't be bothered. He doesn't learn any instruments at school (when I was at school, it was encouraged to learn something ie recorder, clarinet, etc) - so there's no 'enforced learning'. At home, if he doesn't want to learn it, he feels he shouldn't have to.

I know he's 10 and 2 years makes a difference - I started learning guitar when I was 12 or 13.

I'll see if there's something tailored towards his skills - he loves dinosaurs, nature etc
He might be a bit young at 10.

"At home, if he doesn't want to learn it, he feels he shouldn't have to."

This is wrong i think. At that age he shouldn't "feel he shouldn't" anything, he should do what he's told whether he likes it or not.
But it's on his parents not you of course. Well a bit on you 'cause one of his parents is your child :messenger_grinning_sweat:

Anyway, i think what works well with kids that age is not trying to cater to them. Just do your thing, start rocking the crazy train solo next to him next time he's watching pewdiepie, not to make him interested, but because you like doing that. I remember i was in awe of my grand father when he started declaming poetry or acting (he was a failed actor) because he was so into it i don't know it resonated with me.
Remember he has one quarter of your genes so some stuff you like he's bound to like too.

It's not about the stuff you give him, it's about the way you do it.

Who knows in a few year he'll come to you by himself asking to learn because something you did stuck.
 

OmegaSupreme

advanced basic bitch
My son is 5. He loves playing games on my Wii U. We play a lot of coop as well.

I think one thing is that we dont let him watch that kind of programming on Youtube. Generally he is only allowed to watch "shows" and "cartoons". Similar to what we had when we were kids, but just a lot more choice! I would never let him watch a lets play or an unboxing of a toy etc.
A wise decision. I can say that with experience. I can hardly get my 8-year-old off youtube. The content aimed at her demo is 98 percent garbage.
 

Stuart360

Member
Its more widespread than you think. In fact i was in that situationa few years ago when i lost my job and didnt really have the money to buy loads of games, so i watched playthroughs of new games, and when i got another job i didnt want to play anymore. It was really weird and it took me a surprisingly long time before i got the urge to play myself. I game every day now lol, and love it as i always have. Its just surprisingly easy to cuddle up on the sofa and watch someone you like play through a game.
 

Rudius

Member
I think a lot of it is down to kids attention spans; playing games, as mentioned above, requires a lot of time etc
Kids like things in short bursts.
Plus - maybe failing negatively impacts them? I know when he plays a game and dies, he gives up straight away.
You must correct that, or he will suffer and give up when he fails in life. Persistence and resilience are some of the good things games can strengthen.
 
I don’t really understand the trend either, but I think it kind of depends on the situation. Watching a professional or highly skilled player can be entertaining and even informative because he is showing gameplay beyond what the average person can do. I think some people watch games also because they might like the actual streamer’s as well. Sometimes people will check out a new release to see how the game looks as well. Admittedly, I did that a few times out of curiosity.

I rarely watch Youtubers play games because I rather just play them for myself, but once in awhile I’ll check out some high level players in fighting games and even try to study their techniques and gather information.
 

ksdixon

Member
I like seeing people's reactions to game trailers and stuff, see if they
matched my own. Then there's podcasts discussing those trailer events too. "e3" is like a 2 week thing for me once I finally do the rounds between the youtubers I follow, their podcasts etc. It'd great.
 

NeoIkaruGAF

Gold Member
The comparison with professional sports is idiotic.
With sports, you’re (usually) watching the best people in the field, competing at a level you couldn’t achieve if you tried. And, you couldn’t enter a match with those people anyway.
Watching a Let’s Play is less interesting than watching test animals trying to figure out a task, and with the internet you always have a chance to challenge a pro, even if you have no hope of winning. If you’re going to watch a random guy fumble around in a game he never played before, you’re gonna spend exactly the same time (possibly more) than if you had a shot at the game yourself.
 

Kholinar

Banned
Watching someone else play a game is a different kind of enjoyment from playing a game itself. The game itself isn't the enjoyment, but the person that's playing it is. It's like when you invite your friend over to watch a movie that you've already watched; you've already watched the movie, so you're well acclimated to the plot beats and whatnot, and thus you become more interested in your friend's reaction to those beats and whatnot. Same ballpark.

There's also the case of the content creator just being a generally good entertainer, which has the capacity to enhance the underlying experience.
 

Northeastmonk

Gold Member
I told my step daughter I would give her money if she beat Super Mario World and she started to cry legit tears. She loves games, but she can’t stand failing multiple times. If she dies too much she quits. I’m trying to get her out of believing that. I’m not sure what it is. I beat the Special Star world levels in Super Mario World at her age. I had beaten Super Metroid around her age. She likes the open world of Roblox, which is basically a sandbox of people running around. They’re being taught to move around in a digital world, but they don’t have an objective besides visiting a theme park. We also don’t allow those live action YouTubers who have 50+ million views. I swear some people use those as babysitters. I can’t even imagine how much they make from ad revenue. I’ve even told her that it’s much more satisfying to beat a game than watch someone else do it. Why bother owning a game if you’re just going to watch someone else beat it ahead of time? I get why it’s entertaining at times, but I also don’t watch past a certain point. Kids don’t care if they beat a game. They’re there to just mess around and if someone shows them something they can’t obtain themselves then they’ll just gobble it up.
 
I told my step daughter I would give her money if she beat Super Mario World and she started to cry legit tears. She loves games, but she can’t stand failing multiple times. If she dies too much she quits. I’m trying to get her out of believing that. I’m not sure what it is. I beat the Special Star world levels in Super Mario World at her age. I had beaten Super Metroid around her age. She likes the open world of Roblox, which is basically a sandbox of people running around. They’re being taught to move around in a digital world, but they don’t have an objective besides visiting a theme park. We also don’t allow those live action YouTubers who have 50+ million views. I swear some people use those as babysitters. I can’t even imagine how much they make from ad revenue. I’ve even told her that it’s much more satisfying to beat a game than watch someone else do it. Why bother owning a game if you’re just going to watch someone else beat it ahead of time? I get why it’s entertaining at times, but I also don’t watch past a certain point. Kids don’t care if they beat a game. They’re there to just mess around and if someone shows them something they can’t obtain themselves then they’ll just gobble it up.

I think I saw one guitarist who is a YouTuber say that if one of his videos gets 1 million views, his revenue is about £1,500.
 
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