UK and U.S. neurodivergent teen gamers online friendships 2023

Playing the same games was the most common reason to strike up online friendships according to neurodivergent young gamers in the United States and UK. A survey between September and October 2023 found that 41 percent of respondents from the United States and 53 percent from the UK claimed this as the leading reason for forming online friendships.

Reasons for forming online friendships according to young neurodivergent gamers in the United States and United Kingdom as of October 2023

Characteristic	UK	United States	Overall
We play the same games	53%	41%	50%
We like the same things	46%	46%	46%
They have shared content that I like	51%	23%	44%
I know them offline (e.g. friend from school)	33%	30%	32%
They were a friend of a friend	32%	24%	30%
They look interesting	33%	18%	29%
We follow the same people	32%	16%	28%
They followed me (e.g. on a social media or online game)	28%	20%	26%
None of these	2%	7%	3%
Other	1%	1%	1%

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Release date

March 2024

More information

Region

United Kingdom, United States

Survey time period

September and October 2023

Number of respondents

480 respondents

Age group

11 to 17 years

Method of interview

Online panel

Supplementary notes

Young People survey. Base: all respondents UK n=369, US n=111

The survey was launched in the UK on the 7th September 2023 and in the US on the 15th September 2023 and closed on 15th October 2023.

According to the source, "an online survey of 12-17 year olds and their parents was promoted and distributed through UK and US charity partners and 480 surveys were completed; 77% (n=369) from the UK and 23% (n=111) from the US. Over half of parents who responded had one or more child/ren that had autism (56%, n=271), and half had one or more child/ren with ADHD (48%, n=231). Two-thirds of parents who had a child with autism (66%, n=317) said that their child had been given a formal diagnosis of autism, 13% (n=62) were in the process of getting a diagnosis and 13% (n=62) had a child with suspected autism but no formal diagnosis."

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