u/so_eepy

I'm doing my PhD looking at what happens when playing video games becomes a "job" or "career", including esports players or coaches, gaming content creators or streamers, or game testers.

I've previously interviewed people involved in esports, game testing, and gaming content creation, which helped me identify some of the things that can make gaming work stressful or rewarding. But now I'm doing a larger study to look at which factors matter most, and what might help prevent burnout (especially for people new to or aspiring to gaming careers).

If you're involved in esports, gaming content creation, or game testing, and currently earn money or hope to earn money from it, I'd really appreciate you taking my anonymous 5-10 minute survey. The survey starts with a screening section, so you can start the survey to check whether you're eligible.
Survey: https://adelaideuniwide.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqYV4BW8o7eMbRk

And even if you're not eligible (or don't want to do the survey), I'd love to hear your thoughts:

1. Do you think playing video games can be a job or career? (e.g., would you consider elite esports players or content creators as "gaming workers"?)
2. What do you think are the biggest stressors for people who are gaming as their "job"?

Hi! I'm a PhD candidate researching something I've been thinking about for a while:
What happens when playing video games stops being just a hobby and becomes work?

When we say "pro gamer", I think most people immediately picture esports players. But there are plenty of other people who can earn money from playing games: streamers, Let's Players, walkthrough creators, game testers, QA workers, esports coaches, and people supporting those roles.

And it got me thinking:

>If you earn money from gaming, does that make gaming a job? And if it is a job, should we expect some of the same problems we see in other jobs - things like workplace stress, burnout, bullying, etc.?

My current study is looking at the job demands (things that make gaming work difficult or demanding) and job resources (things that support people and make the work more manageable) across esports, gaming content creation, and gaming testing. I want to know:

• Is there workplace stress among people who do gaming work?
• What are the biggest sources of that stress?
• What support can actually help gaming workers?

Who can participate?

• People 16 years or older
• People confident in reading and writing in English
• Participate in one or more of the following areas:
  • Esports as a player, coach, or supporting staff
  • Gaming content creation as a creator, editor, or supporting staff
  • Game testing (including beta/alpha, QA, etc.)
• Currently earn money from this work or hoping to earn money from it

Not sure whether what you do counts? That's completely fine! The survey begins with screening questions, and only people who meet the criteria will proceed to the main survey.

The survey is about 10 minutes and completely anonymous. You can read the participant information sheet before deciding whether to take part as well. It includes details about the study, my supervisor, my contact information, and the ethics approval.

University: Adelaide University
Ethics Approval: AU Human Research Ethics Committee, project #4285
Researcher contact: l.trudgett-klose@adelaide.edu.au
Information Sheet & Survey link: https://adelaideuniwide.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_eqYV4BW8o7eMbRk

I'd also genuinely be interested in hearing people's thoughts here regardless of whether you do the survey.
When does playing video games become a job?
Is earning money enough to make it a job, or does it only count if you depend on gaming for your income, or follow a schedule, or have clients/employers, etc.? And do you think the stress of turning a hobby into a job is fundamentally different from the stress of a traditional job?