A five-year-old clicks “play” on his tablet and is unknowingly matched against an 80-year-old chess veteran, waiting with bated breath. The young prodigy leans forward, eyes locked on the glowing board, as his opponent, with decades of experience, calculates. Moments like these raise a curious question: in the boundless world of online gaming, does age still matter?
Senior Veer Vohra began gaming at the start of the pandemic. “When Covid started, it was a great way for me to continue to stay connected and socialize with friends, especially with the strict social distancing measures that were being implemented during the time,” Vohra said.
Similarly, senior Niko Madriz started playing in fourth grade after receiving his first PlayStation. “I remember the first official video game that I played was Fortnite. […] I was able to make a lot of good memories with friends in a fun, chill environment,” Madriz said.
Both Vohra and Madriz agree that there’s no specific age to start gaming, but they also recognize how its appeal can fade over time. As schoolwork, responsibilities and social lives grow, gaming often takes a back seat. Madriz has felt that shift firsthand.
“I remember when I was younger I couldn’t wait to get home from school, hop on the game [and] play with my friends and stuff. […] Nowadays nobody plays anymore, so there’s not really that much of an incentive for me to hop on the game either,” he said. Vohra echoed that sentiment, citing increased homework and other commitments as reasons for stepping away from gaming.
However, Vohra believes there’s no age when someone should stop playing video games, so long as balance is maintained. “The main thing is keeping a balance between the fun, relaxing parts of life and the deeper aspects like family, friends and the things that really matter,” Vohra said.
For English teacher Oscar King IV, the question is about the value of the game, not age. Growing up, King didn’t face strict limits on his gaming, and he says that freedom shaped his current point of view. “My dad would let me play above the age category if I wrote him an essay arguing why I should be allowed to play the game,” King said. He believes that what truly matters is the kind of game being played. “I don’t think there’s an age to start or stop playing. […] It’s more for what is the game and what is the kind of heuristic or the hope of the game, and how are you engaging with it,” King said.
Looking ahead, King sees gaming as something that will remain part of his life, as a lasting form of creative expression. “I think games are just increasingly a kind of storytelling that I really enjoy,” King said.
Madriz shares a similar perspective, noting that several of his relatives still enjoy gaming today. “My uncles, who are […] a little bit older, still love playing video games,” he said. “If anything, there’s just a stigma around video games being unprofessional.”
