Video Games Are Social

A new study has found that playing video games actually doesn't make teens into brooding loners with long black coats.

A new Pew Internet study of teen and video games has come up with some pretty interesting results. Instead of isolating them, the majority of teens actually play with friends rather than alone, making them more social, the BBC reports.

The survey gathered responses from 1,102 teens aged between 12-17. It was no surprise that the vast majority (99% of boys, 94% of girls) had played some form of video game, wqith the most popular title being Guitar Hero, followed by Halo 3.

Report author Amanda Lenhart, senior research specialist at the Pew Internet & American Life Project, wrote:

"Three quarters of teens actually play these games with other people, whether online or in person."

"People who game on a daily basis are just as likely to talk on the phone, to email, to spend time with a friend face to face outside of school as kids who play games less."

Nearly half of teens played games where they confronted social issues such as Food Force and Darfur is Dying.

Probably no one will be shocked to learn that games intended for adults were popular among teens, too.