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One of the latest rising trends in the video game industry is not the new technology - it's the players. More and more moms are dealing with stress by picking up a video game.
A survey from the website, Mom Central, finds that moms may be using games not only to relieve stress, but also to connect with their kids. Of the mothers that are involved in gaming, up to three hours a week is spent playing video games with their children.
In the 10 or 15 minutes when you are waiting for the laundry to finish or you are in the commute home, it's just a way to dive into something that is engaging your mind.
–- Stacy Debroff, CEO of momcentral.com
Robin Hunt, a gaming mother, explained when she typically played video games.
"When I have some down time, and it's rare when you have two kids and mine are very active, that's when I do it," said Hunt.
But these gaming moms aren't necessarily taking over their kids' PlayStations or X- boxes. Instead, the majority are playing what are called "casual games" such as Words with Friends or Angry Birds on their mobile devices.
According to Mom Central, 70 percent of casual gamers are women -- and busy women at that. About 52 percent of mothers play games at home, 34 percent regularly play games on their cell phones and 29 percent play while waiting for their kids or while in line at a store.
On average, these mothers spent about five hours a week playing, but not all at once.
"What the trend is showing is that moms are coming in and out for short periods," said Stacy Debroff, CEO of Mom Central. "In the 10 or 15 minutes when you are waiting for the laundry to finish or you are in the commute home, it's just a way to dive into something that is engaging your mind."
