a ton of 12 to 17 year olds are gamers

Not the most shocking statistic, although the numbers are still pretty high: 97% of boys and 94% of girls in that age range play video games, according to a new study. Seems like certain games can also be beneficial to a teen's learning potential:

Turns out that teens who play games with some element of civic engagement also get involved in their real-life communities. Pew defined various types of "civic gaming experiences," including helping other players, forming online guilds and making decisions about how a country should be run. The survey found that teens who played such games (like "World of Warcraft" or "Civilization") are more interested in current events and more likely to participate in civic activities, like volunteer work or charity fundraising.

I have always thought that city building games could only be good for a young person's view of how the world works. Also I still love that 94% of girls 12 to 17... sounds high but still good!

Game News: Big Numbers for Teens and Games