It was long thought that this was a flaw, but a study proved that this habit of Millennials would ultimately be their greatest advantage when it comes to parenting.
Each generation has its own rules when it comes to parenting. If certain principles stand the test of time, other methods considered “old-fashioned” end up disappearing. Moreover, these differences can sometimes create conflicts in the family, when young parents come up against the advice (or criticism) of grandparents, because everyone thinks they know how to do better. Becoming a father or mother for the first time is a deeply distressing transition, especially for this new generation of parents who are navigating the complicated era of screens and social networks. Millennials, these children born in the 80s and 90s who are now in their thirties or forties, are discovering the difficulties linked to parental education in a world where their every move is scrutinized from everywhere.
But we reassure you: if you are part of this generation, you have an invisible advantage… which has long been considered a weakness or a flaw. And it’s science that says so. A study conducted by researchers at Clemson University in the United States has proven that parents in their 80s and 90s are able to develop deeper bonds and reduce conflicts with their children thanks to a specific hobby from their youth. The secret lies where we least expected it: in video games.
Yes, this generation fed on the NES or the Gameboy was trained in the school of patience, where automatic saves and other tutorials to discover how to finish the game did not exist. As a result, when we lost, we had to start everything from scratch. But apart from this mentality according to which effort always pays off, which is already an educational advantage in itself, the main advantage of these parents lies in their own past as gamers. They are the first generation to have grown up with a controller in their hands, which allows them to “better understand their children’s engagement in virtual worlds, thereby reducing generational conflicts related to screen time”. Unlike previous generations, Millennials do not perceive video games as a simple time-consuming distraction, but as a “familiar and legitimate leisure activity”. The study thus dismantles the stereotype according to which video games isolate children or teenagers from the real world around them: on the contrary, they “can positively affect family relationships by strengthening bonds and increasing mutual understanding between generations”.
By playing the console with their children, parents create a whole new dynamic that we do not find (or barely) with other shared activities: a sort of “family democracy”in which the roles are reversed. Because even though they have been accomplished gamers for more than 30 years, parents often remain less skilled than their children in modern games. This is then the opportunity for the little ones to become the experts, “and teach their parents new skills, which builds their confidence and creates reciprocal learning”.
Thus, a game of Mario Kart becomes “a major relational tool” to help parents “spark and encourage conversations with their children”. We discuss strategy, concentration, even management of virtual currency, while sharing a pleasant moment with the family. Moreover, according to the Union of Leisure Software Publishers (SELL), the average age of players in France is 40 years old. And nearly 8 out of 10 gamers say they play with their children: a figure which proves that the console has become a real vector of social connection. Of course, it is appropriate to respect age guidelines and set clear rules regarding screen time, but at a time when the issue of screens remains central in the public debate, “co-gaming” between generations therefore appears to be the beginning of a solution: no need to feel guilty if you are a fan of video games, it is perhaps precisely your parental superpower.
