In its new study, the analytics company Circana uncovered an interesting trend: there is a decline in the number of players in the youngest age category (2-12 years) in the United States.
▫️Since 2022, their numbers have decreased from 40.9 million to 38.5 million by 2024.
▫️In addition, children are spending less time on video games: while in 2022 they dedicated an average of 17.2 hours per week to this activity, now it's only 16 hours.
▫️This trend reflects the general situation in the U.S. market: the number of gamers has decreased from the peak levels during the lockdowns. According to Circana, 71% of Americans play video games today, which is 4% less compared to 2022.
▫️The same goes for the number of "casual players," who engaged with games as a way to kill time.
As noted by journalist Stephen Totilo, there is a concurrent rise in the number of hours young gamers spend weekly watching let's plays and streams—from 8.9 hours in 2022 to 10.1 hours in 2024.
According to analyst Mat Piscatella, the main reason for the decline in the number of child players is the return to normal life after pandemic restrictions, leading to the emergence of alternative activities.
Experts point out that increased parental controls in popular games (such as Fortnite) may also have limited the time young Americans spend on games.
Despite these changes, it is emphasized that the decrease in interest in games among the younger generation may only be a temporary phenomenon.