British parents are clueless when it comes to video games – according to their own children

Hyperoptic, the UK’s largest Gigabit full fibre provider, has released new research looking at the gaming habits of 1,000 children aged 8 to 17. It found that three in five pointed out their mum and dad’s lack of gaming knowledge.

More than half of children said they have been left frustrated by parents’ attempts to speak to them while they are in the middle of a game – because they don’t understand that they can’t pause it. Three in 10 have also had the ‘embarrassment’ of parents talking to them during the game without realising their online friends can hear every word.

Only one in 10 describe their mum’s gaming knowledge as ‘brilliant’ compared to a sixth who think this of their dad. However, a tenth think their father is ‘totally clueless’ while a quarter refer to their mother’s understanding as ‘not very good’.

Charles Davies, MD ISP at Hyperoptic, which commissioned the research, said: “Parents are surrounded by video games nowadays but often don’t fully grasp what’s going on, or how important gaming is to their children.

“It’s amusing to see what parents do and don’t know, but this lack of knowledge about gaming also means parents may not be fully understanding of their children’s hobby and why they do certain things.

“Many modern games consoles now connect to the internet and are played in real time, meaning you can’t ‘just pause’ a game. Gaming is just one of the ways Brits rely on a fast, reliable broadband connection and it’s clear from the research that children of all ages spend many spare hours playing their favourite games online.”

The study also polled the gamers’ parents and found they are clueless when it comes to phrases and acronyms relating to the gaming world.  More than three quarters of mums and dads don’t understand microtransactions – purchasing in-game items with real money – and four in five aren’t aware that ‘FUT’ means FIFA Ultimate Team. Of the 1,000 parents, 64 per cent think their child spends too long on video games at an average of 10 hours a week.  And almost half – 45 per cent – are worried their child is addicted to gaming and ask them at least twice a day to stop playing.

When asked to take a break, more than half of kids admitted they wait until they finish their current round compared to an eighth who pause immediately. A sneaky quarter even pretend to stop their game but actually continue to play.

More than a third of youngsters think their parents should let them spend more time on games and would ideally like to spend five hours a day online. And four in five kids described gaming as ‘very important’ to them.

Half of naïve mums and dads admitted they have told their child to pause a game which couldn’t be paused as it was an online multiplayer match or game. And while 54 per cent think online gaming affects other uses of the internet such as streaming TV or downloading, a quarter have been known to turn the Wi-Fi off while their child was playing a game.

Despite seeming clueless, almost half of parents polled via OnePoll ‘often’ play online games with their child, while three in 10 have attempted to but couldn’t understand it. Almost half – 45 per cent – think their child gets some benefit from online gaming including interacting with others, hand eye coordination and concentration skills.

Charles Davies from Hyperoptic added: “Over half of parents said their child’s gaming affects their own online usage, such as slowing down streaming tv services or browsing the internet. 

“With the recent launch of Google Stadia and kids across the country putting 2020 game editions on their Christmas wish lists, this slowdown is set to continue. To avoid annoying buffering, full fibre services with hyperfast speeds are the solution.  Our 1Gb service is 18 times faster than average broadband and we also offer rolling monthly contracts - ideal for those who want to try out what superfast broadband can deliver.”

A film with parents and kids discussing the results together with tips from YouTuber Vikkstar can be seen here:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xWMeJAiaJLM

Gaming terms which parents do not understand:

1.      FUT – FIFA Ultimate Team   

2.      Pallet Town – A playable character from the original Pokémon games

3.      Cappy – Mario’s hat in Super Mario Odyssey

4.      Mercy – A healer character from the game Overwatch

5.      Microtransaction – Something you can buy in-game with real money  

6.      Joy-Con – The name of the Nintendo Switch controllers

7.       Killstreak – How many people you can kill in Call of Duty without getting killed yourself       

8.      Creeper - Enemy in Minecraft

9.      V-bucks – In-game currency in Fortnite

10.  Battle Royale – A popular type of ‘last man standing’ video game popularised by Fortnite      

To find out more click here - hyperoptic.com/broadband/gaming