Women, Older Adults Make Up Majority of U.S. Gamers, New Study Finds

A new study has found that women make up more than half of U.S. gamers and that 22% of American gamers are over the age of 65.

For decades, unflattering stereotypes of gamers as lethargic young men engaging in an isolating hobby have persevered in popular culture. From Eric Cartman gluing himself to “World of Warcraft” in an episode of “South Park” to sci-fi franchises like “Tron” and “Ready Player One” depicting video games as dangerous forms of escapism from reality, gamers have been portrayed as detached and sometimes devious members of a juvenile subculture.

As gaming becomes a more mainstream activity, however, these stereotypes grow more archaic, and a new study from the Entertainment Software Association suggests that the universal image of a gamer as a lonely young male is not