A new study reveals that while a huge portion of the American population plays video games, only a fraction of those players consider themselves to be gamers.

A recent study has revealed that gamers and non-gamers still have wildly varying opinions on video games, with a staggering number of players refraining from referring to themselves as gamers.

Although half of the United States population plays video games, only 10% of those players consider themselves to be gamers. In addition, while the survey has confirmed that the gender makeup of gamers is an almost perfect mix, with 50% of players being male and 48% being female, the men and women polled both felt that significantly more men are gamers than females. In addition, women were even less likely to refer to themselves as gamers than men, with only 15% of men doing so, but only 6% of women calling themselves gamers, despite female celebrities like Ronda Rousey proudly stating that they're gamers.

The survey, performed by Pew Research Center, shows more that even gamers have varying opinions on what makes a gamer a gamer, as well as the impact of video games. According to the study, 40% of the general population thinks that there's a link between violent video games and violent real-life behavior. What comes as a surprise is that 32% of game players agreed that violent games could cause violence. Considering that games with high levels of violence like Fallout 4 and Mortal Kombat X sell millions of copies, and studies have found no link between violent games and violent behavior, it's unfortunate that the popular opinion appears to differ.

Chances are, the survey's results are what they are because they took all forms of video games into account. For example, a person who regularly plays Candy Crush on their mobile phone would be considered a video game player by the survey, but could reasonably not consider themselves to be an avid gamer. Sadly, there could still be somewhat of a stigma attached to the notion of being a "gamer," as pop culture still often depicts gamers as being nerdy basement-dwellers with no social lives.

Furthermore, casual gamers who were polled may be more wary of violent games than players who regularly play first-person shooters, horror games, and action titles, since most mobile games generally contain little to no violence.

Ultimately, this survey reveals that there's still a lot of differing opinions regarding how gamers tick, even amongst gamers themselves. Regardless of opinion, part of what makes video games great is that there's a title out there for almost anyone, whether gamers abhor violence or relish in it, and whether they consider themselves gamers, players, or just a person who likes digital puzzles.

Source: Pew Research Center