Yet Another Stat That Proves The Male Gamer Stereotype Is A Farce
With new data from a Pew Research Center survey, we know that women play an even bigger role in the gaming community. Of the 40% of Americans who own a video game console, 42% are women and only 37% are men.
I’m really confused by this because none of these numbers add up to 100
Well the pie chart is males under 18 vs females over 18, so I can see where that and the race one can have additional categories they’re not showing, but the main male v female one only adding up to 79% definitely makes me wonder what they’re not showing.
A pie chart implies it is representing a whole, not 53%, and not comparing two sides that don’t make sense to be compared. Women over 18 vs. Boys under 18? Why?
And the race one adds up to 127% so are they saying that 39% of white people play games?
No damn sense, any of it.
Awww yeah, time for some research.
Long post incoming. [Link to the Pew Survey]
Long post incoming. [Link to the Pew Survey]
Here’s a chart grabbed from Pew’s survey, the source of that infograph above. The numbers aren’t meant to fill up a whole 100% because the percentages aren’t divisions of the 40% of all people who own a console. They’re actually tied to the demographic itself.
45% of Hispanics in the survey owned a console. 42% of women in the survey owned a console. 56% of the 18-29 age group in the survey owned a console. And etc.
That’s how you’re supposed to read it. Not as “42% of the adults who own a console are women” like OP implied.
Dumb math after the break.
The survey lists 921 men and 986 women participating in the whole thing, with 948 of the combined two responding to this section in particular. Assuming the gender proportions of the total is the same as Form B:
921 / 1907 = 48% of 948 = ~455 men
986 / 1907 = 52% of 948 = ~493 women
And 40% of those 948 surveyed in this section had a console, which is a total of ~379 people.
Since we know that 37% of men and 42% of women were owners, we can find the approximate number of people who are owners.
37% of 455 = ~168 men owned a console
42% of 493 = ~207 women owned a console
And comparing these to the total number of console owners gives you the real comparative percentages.
168 male owners / 379 total = ~44% of men surveyed owned a console
207 female owners / 379 total = ~55% of women surveyed owned a console
*It’s not a full 100% due to margins of error
So yeah. Not entirely misleading. Just a little misguided. I’d presume that the race chart operates in the same way, but this post is wordy as is.
Also, I have no idea where they pulled that “17% Boys -18 yrs” stat. :V