The "Younger Sibling Effect"

While I'm past middle age, I don't consider myself THAT old. However, once in awhile I find myself wondering about the actions of the younger generations and one of them that perplexes me the most is: why would they rather watch someone play a video game than play it?

Now, I realize more people than ever before are playing video games and there are more video game systems and games "out there" for players to enjoy. I also understand that as everyone gets older and has more responsibilities that they don't have as much time to play all of the games they would like to.

However, as someone who literally grew up with the history of video games (yes, I remember playing Pong at at a gym my parents went to) I would always rather play a game than watch someone else play it. I remember being a kid and being impatient for my turn to get my hands on the controller.

Then I made a realization.

The younger generations are the younger brothers and sisters (and the children) of the generation who grew up playing video games. And what did us older siblings (and parents) make them do? We made them watch us playing games. They got used to making the act of watching others play entertaining for them as well. Maybe it was a survival method. Maybe there was just more opportunities to watch someone play a game (via YouTube and Twitch and spectator modes) Maybe they grew to like watching others playing games. Whatever the case, it is now a "thing". (it has been a thing for quite some time just some of us are slower to embrace it.)

While I would still rather play games that watch them, I feel I understand why the "younger generation" likes to watch games a little more now.