A majority of Indian parents support their children engaging in online gaming, but with certain restrictions, according to a survey by YourDOST, an online counselling and emotional wellness platform.

The survey was meant to better understand Indian parents’ perception of their children’s online gaming.

As per the report, 61 per cent of the parents agreed that online games are beneficial to kids. However, 78 per cent of parents also thought that it is essential to have ground rules for online gaming.

65 per cent of the respondents said that they understand why children like to play online games as they have played online games themselves.

Online gaming is a good way to socialise as per 48 per cent of parents. While 60 per cent of parents said that they felt that online gaming is a good stress buster for their kids. Apart from this, 40 per cent of parents felt that online gaming can be a profitable career for kids.

However, a majority of parents also wished for ground rules when it comes to gaming. 88 per cent of respondents felt that it could be addictive for their kids while 79 per cent said that they think that online gaming can hamper academic performance. In addition, 74 per cent of the parents said that they feel that online games can cause violent behaviour among children.

Owing to this, parents were in favour of certain restrictions when it comes to gaming. 58 per cent of parents responded that will allow their children to play only certain kinds of online games. While 57 per cent of parents allow their kids to game for a fixed duration. 54 per cent of parents said that they believe that their kids should play games only on certain days of the week.

Richa Singh, Co-founder and CEO, YourDOST said, “In this age of digital outreach, it’s no surprise that the amount of time towards Online Gaming has increased. It is even more so now because of the real-life experience and the advent of AR/VR. There needs to be the right balance in terms of how much parents need to allow their kids to play online games. The right mix of time and conversation with kids will bring in positive outcomes. A significant number of parents also do realise the benefits of online gaming and its positive impact on the child’s overall growth.”

The study involved 429 parents, including working professionals, homemakers, retirees, and entrepreneurs. The study, conducted across parents of children in various age groups, such as toddlers, preschoolers, pre-teens, adolescents, and adults.

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