MMO Gamers: Thinner, Fitter, Crazier
Watch out, Level 70 Calvin Klein Models, MMO gamers are on the make! A joint survey by USC, PARC and the University of Delaware finds that not only are MMO gamers not overweight or underexercised - they score better than the average American:
The results suggest that adult gamers have an average body mass index of 25.2, compared to the overall American average of 28. The average gamer also engages in vigorous exercise once or twice a week, which the researchers say is more than most Americans. The reasons for this are not obvious, although the team suggest it may be because more educated, wealthier people are attracted to computer games, and these people also tend to take better care of their health.
Hooray! This confirms my very unprofessional survey of that World of Datecraft monstrosity, which while disturbing did sport a lot more cuties than I'd feared.
Unfortunately all of us thin, fit MMO gamers (I'm bucking the trend...) do have another statistical standout that's less fun: we're insane (all of a sudden I'm not bucking the trend anymore...) and we're drug addicts:
The downside, however, was that the gamers reported more cases of depression and substance abuse than their compatriots. "They may be drawn to use the game to help deal with emotional distress," says team member Scott Caplan of the University of Delaware.
Escapism is escapism, I suppose, but I'm still not ready to send my whole guild to rehab ("No, no, no..."). It is worth mentioning that the 7,000 survey participants were bribed with a sweet-ass Greatstaff of the Sun Serpent.
Does it spell trouble that I'm more concerned about unique in-game items than ending up as a horse-addicted depressive?
Survey Says: MMO Players Not Fat, But Have Other Issues [GamePolitics]
tiny dancer
Posted to Hot Stuff, MMOs, Miscellany on 18 September 2008
· Comments (3)
Other stuff like this: everquest ii, mmo, mmo gamers, stereotypes
Well, it's hard to eat when you're level grinding for hours at a time. I'd be curious to know if these people are simply a 'healthy' weight according to the BMI or are actully fit and in shape.
The survey (and this was only a survey, so people would be free to lie or exaggerate) compares these game players to the overall American average, which I think is a bit misleading. I think it would make more sense to compare them to other people in their age group. I would guess that the results will seem a bit less positive.
BMI is hardly a metric for saying if someone is healthy or not. There are other factors to consider like blood pressure, cholesterol, and mental/emotional health (which was talked about).
Also, this is mostly just correlation and not causation anyway. Still an interesting finding.