The latest data from Media Technology Monitor’s MTM Jr. survey shows that gaming has become a daily part of life for children under the age of 18. Thanks to the proliferation of game consoles, computers, smartphones, and tablets, along with free-to-play and paid games, they have access to an endless array of choices.

Four in five anglophone children have played a video game in the past month, with 88% of those aged seven to 11 having played in that time period, followed by 84% aged 12 to 17, and 67% of those aged two to six. Interest in PC gaming grows with age as 75% of teens have their own computers, laptops, or Chromebooks compared to only 47% of seven- to 11-year-olds and 23% of two- to six-year-olds.

Over half (53%) of children use cell phones and tablets to play games while 46% play via a console, and 28%  play via a computer or laptop. Three in five children play video games online. Children with a PC are most likely to play online with others, with males and teens most likely to be gaming online “all of the time.”

Children are also accessing downloadable content, with three in 10 who play video games paying extra to access it in their games. Children from middle-income households are likely to have opted in for downloadable content – 34% of children from households earning $35K to $75K – than any other income group.

Two in five households also have a subscription to a gaming service; the most popular services are PlayStation Plus or PS Now (19%), Xbox Live or Game Pass (16%), and Nintendo Switch Online (11%).

Children who play video games also watch streaming gaming content, with 35% having watched gaming content online in the past month. Interest is highest among boys (46%), children in Ontario (41%), and children from mid-to-low-income households (39% among those with a household income of 75K$ or less). Of those who watch gaming content online, 87% do so via YouTube, followed by Twitch at 16%.

This story first appeared in Media in Canada; photo by Matthew Lloyd, Getty Images