---
"title": "One third of video gaming teens use cheats"
"description": "Deep in our recent report Teens, Video Gaming and Civics was a nugget about cheats. Not cheat-ing, but the use of \"cheats\" or codes to open additional content in the game"
"date": "2008-10-06"
"authors":
  -
    "name": "Amanda Lenhart"
    "job_title": "Former Director of Teens and Technology Research at the Pew Research Center’s Internet & American Life Project"
    "link": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/staff/amanda-lenhart/"
"url": "https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/2008/10/06/one-third-of-video-gaming-teens-use-cheats/"
"categories":
  - "Leisure"
  - "Teens & Tech"
  - "Teens & Youth"
"tags":
  - "Gaming"
  - "Teens"
---

# One third of video gaming teens use cheats

Somewhat buried in our recent report [Teens, Video Gaming and Civics](https://alpha.pewresearch.org/pewresearch-org/internet/PPF/r/263/report_display.asp), was a nugget about cheats. Not cheat-ing, but the use of “cheats” or codes to open additional content in the game – anything from a new level, a new “skin” or look for a character or car, a new weapon, or new ways to manipulate game play – content that the developer has hidden within the game for players to discover and then share with others.

Turns out, using cheats is quite popular among teen gamers. More than a third of teen gamers (36%) use these codes. Boys are more than twice as likely to use them than girls, with half of boys (50%) employing them “often” or “sometimes,” compared to just 23% of girls reporting the same. Cheats are much more likely to be used by game console owners on games played there – nearly 40% of console owners use cheats, compared to just 9% of teens who game but don’t have a console.