Esports for Young Adults, Good Career?

               The champions of the recently concluded The International 10 took home $18 Million prize money out of the event’s $40 million prize pool, the biggest payout in esports history (Johnson, 2021). The online gaming event was live streamed from October 7, 2021 to October 17, 2021, to a record-breaking esports viewership of 2.7 million (Michael, 2021). Esports is a broad term for a competitive play of video games such as Fortnite, League of Legends, to Counterstrike. The industry is worth approximately $1 billion as of 2019 and is projected to be worth $4.28 billion by 2027. Top tiered players earn millions, while viewership as of 2019 is approximately 454 million (Newbury, 2021). The rise of esports inspires young adults to dream the esports glory. Gamers enjoy their hobby of video gaming while earning millions in cash and millions of fans around the world, but esports is not all that glorious. Esports is a profitable career, but only if you are a top-tier player and playing at a healthy pace. Further, the burnout rate of professional gamers is profound, they came to the gamers early as 14 or 15 and most probably retired by the time they reach mid 20’s (Winkie, 2015). The esports industry is experiencing rapid growth throughout the years but the physical and mental demands it requires from the gamers will be tremendous as well. When a hobby becomes work, and gamers no longer play at their own pace, does esports makes a good career? A career in esports is not a good choice for young adults because esports can negatively affect physical and psychological health, is gender-stereotyped, and a gamer’s career is short-lived.

                  A career in esports is not a good choice for young adults because, firstly, esports gamers are constantly exposed to physical and psychological health threats. A survey sent to 65 collegiate esports players shows that as players practiced between 3 and 10 hours per day, the most frequently reported complaint was eye fatigue (56%), followed by neck and back pain (42%), wrist pain (36%) and hand pain (32%). (DiFrancisco-Donoghue et al., 2019). Playing in esports involves long hours of practice and demands rigorous training, prolong sitting, and lack of physicality. Due to the sedentary nature of esports, players are at risk for overuse injuries that could eventually lead to an early end of a gamer’s career. Further, Mentzoni et al. (2011) state that “use of video games was associated with lower scores on life satisfaction and with elevated levels of anxiety and depression” (p. 591). Esports is a competitive game played against hundreds and broadcasted on a global stage, imagine the mental pressure and anxiety each gamer must face in every tournament. When a player or a team fails a tournament, they also must deal with harsh judgment from their fans and followers. Unlike traditional sports, esports takes the competition in a digital avenue and it involves a lot of sitting. It is a known fact that prolongs sitting leads to a myriad of health issues. Esports negative effect on the player's physical and mental health does not make it a good career choice for young adults.

Secondly, in a male-dominated community such as esports, female gamers are subjected to gender stereotyping. Gardner (2021) states that “many female gamers disguise their identities, change profiles and characters to appear neutral or masculine, and daren’t use their microphones” (para. 1). The harsh reality in the world of video gaming is the lack of female representation. All the powerful heroes and characters in a video game are designed as male characters. The female heroine is always a supporting character or the weak character. This representation channels that of the esports community’s mindset that female gamers are not as good as male gamers. Female gamers are evaluated not by the skills and abilities they bring to the game but by their gender. Importantly, in a highly masculinized culture such as esports, female professional gamers not only put their economic livelihoods at stake, but their identities as women and as female gamers (Zolides, 2015). Every gamer should have a chance of establishing their selves as professional esports athletes, regardless of gender or what pronoun they prefer. Female gamers should not worry about showcasing their skills without having to hide their identity, without having to justify their strengths as a gamer, and should not face this extra hurdle of an already competitive industry. A good career should not be gender-biased and should not put you in a position to compromise your identity to be acknowledged.  Esports is not an equal playing field as female gamers are always at the receiving end of gender stereotyping. Esports' lack of gender inclusivity does not make it a good choice of career especially for female gamers who work and practice just as hard to be in the game.

Thirdly, every gamer seems to think that a career in esports is sustainable, but a gamer’s career is short-lived. Esports is a place where young players, even the best of all, are not guaranteed to make a sustainable way of life and are far more likely to burn out than to nurture a long career. (Winkie, 2015) Esports players are always in a competition, even practice games are played in competition against other players. They must dedicate a huge amount of time practicing and perfecting their reaction speed to be always at their peak. The constant practice and exposure to stress and pressure in video gaming can take a toll leading to exhaustion and overwork. Additionally, Newbury (2021) states that “esports players are retiring early not because they cannot compete with teenager reflexes, but from getting sick or injured” (para. 9). An overuse injury is also common in esports. Video games are often played with a fast and successive click on the mouse and the keyboard that uses mainly the hands and fingers while the rest of the body remains static. It also involves long hours of sitting in front of the computer screen. These injuries are often left untreated due to the player's busy training schedule leading to irreversible damage to their health. In esports, age is not just a number, the younger you are, the quicker your reflexes are. Stress and burnout also do not make it any easier.  A career in esports does not make for sustainable living, most gamers prematurely hang their joysticks, concluding a short-lived career.

            Although esports is a burgeoning industry with substantial followers and seemingly lucrative opportunities for gamers, it is not a good career for young adults due to the sedentary nature of video gaming that can negatively affect both physical and psychological health. Additionally, esports does not give an equal opportunity for success, especially for female gamers as the esports community is gender-stereotyped thus limiting female gamers’ capacity to develop and pursue their careers in gaming. Most significantly, a career in esports as a professional gamer is short-lived and does not make for sustainable living due to stress, burnout, and injuries the players are constantly exposed to. The damaging effect of esports on a gamer’s health, career progression, and stability make esports less of a career that is good and viable.

 

References:

 

DiFrancisco-Donoghue, J., Balentine, J., Schmidt, G., & Zwibel, H. (2019). Managing the health of the eSport athlete: an integrated health management model. BMJ open sport & exercise medicine, 5(1), e000467. https://doi.org/10.1136/bmjsem-2018-000467

Gardner, M. (2019). The ugly hatred faced by women in esports, and how we fight back. Forbes. Retrieved from https://www.forbes.com/sites/mattgardner1/2021/03/19/the-ugly-hatred-faced-by-women-in-esports-and-how-we-fight-back/?sh=3e381f4c37d8

Johnson, D. (2021). Team spirit is the winner of the international 10. Esportznetwrok. Retrieved from https://www.esportznetwork.com/team-spirit-is-the-winner-of-the-international-10/

Mentzoni, R. A., Brunborg, G. S., Molde, H., Myrseth, H., Skouverøe, K. J., Hetland, J., & Pallesen, S. (2011). Problematic video game use: estimated prevalence and associations with mental and physical health. Cyberpsychology, behavior and social networking, 14(10), 591–596. https://doi.org/10.1089/cyber.2010.0260

Michael, C. (2021). Dota 2’s The International 10 peaked at 2.7 million viewers, set esports record in the CIS. Dot Esports. Retrieved from https://dotesports.com/dota-2/news/dota-2s-the-international-10-peaked-at-2-7-million-viewers-set-esports-record-in-the-cis

Newburry, E. (2021) Esports: Health and safety at the collegiate level. Wilson Center. Retrieved from https://www.wilsoncenter.org/article/esports-health-and-safety-collegiate-level

Winkie, L. (2015) Retired at 20: A pro gamer’s life after esports. Kotaku. Retrieved from https://kotaku.com/retired-at-20-a-pro-gamer-s-life-after-esports-1746907605

 

Zolides, A. (2015) Persona Studies, 1(2), 42-53. https://search.informit.org/doi/epdf/10.3316/informit.968534603571037