Gamers could learn a new language by giving up gaming for just 2 hours a day

New research by online local services marketplace Bidvine has found that the average gamer spends 2 hours each day playing video games. The survey polled more than 2,000 UK residents and found that a staggering 55% of them identified as gamers. The majority said that they play games for approximately 2 hours each day, while 34% admitted that they spend in excess of 5 hours a day gaming.

To find out how this time could be used differently, Bidvine contacted its qualified service providers including personal trainers, teachers and music tutors to find out how long it would take to learn a new skill.

If the average gamer was to swap the 2 hours a day to learn a new skill they would be able to:

  • Speak fluent French within 6 months
  • Learn the basics of guitar playing in 3 months
  • Train for the marathon in just 10 weeks
  • Update and remodel a bathroom in 7 weeks
  • Salsa dance in just 4 weeks

The study also found that games consoles were the most popular means of gaming with 45% answering that they play on one. PC’s came second with 31% of the vote, while mobile gaming on phones and tablets accounted for 19% of the vote.

Bidvine Co-founder Russ Morgan talked about the results of the study saying:

“We really don’t want to shame people for gaming, because it’s a great way for people to unwind and have fun. We thought it would be interesting though, to find out in relative terms what could be achieved within the same timeframe.

“We hope that these results will encourage people to try something new, learn a new hobby and finally get round to ticking some things off of their bucket or to-do list. I think most don’t realise how little time you actually need to allocate to learning a new skill, just think, in six months’ time you could be sat in a restaurant speaking fluent French to your waiter!”