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Spacewar! was the first publically available video game and with it came the first public opinion of video games. The creators of Spacewar! were interviewed by Rolling Stone magazine, and in the magazine, they are credited as "Hackers". Video game players were seen as rebels at the time The Rolling Stone article in question: https://www.wheels.org/spacewar/stone/rolling_stone.html
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The Magnavox Odyssey was the first home console and as such was marketed to family homes. This shift from college students to families made video games more accessible to younger people and made video games seem very family-friendly. Here is a promotional film for the Odyssey: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jLGBtkKPj2U
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The atari 2600 is one of the most iconic consoles to ever be released and was very successful. Because of its success, it was marketed to all audiences and featured games of all types. the atari 2600 aided the family-friendly feel instilled by the Magnavox odyssey.
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In 1983, due to oversaturation in the market, the video game market crashed in North America. All the consoles were the same and none of them sold well. The idea of video games was seen as a past trend at this point.
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The market crash of 83' only affected the US, so video games were still relevant in other parts of the world, most importantly Japan. The Nintendo Entertainment System was made in Japan and when it came to America, it revitalized the video game market in the US and also once again went for a family-friendly angle. The NES was very much marketed to children and as such video games were seen as an activity for children.
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The Sega Genesis was the major competition for the NES, and it differed in how they marketed it. Sega went for a more in-your-face, edgy angle. This angle once again returned the perception of young video game players to that of a rebel.
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Mortal Kombat was not the first video game that featured more mature themes, but it was one of the first to be massively popular. Mortal Kombat was very controversial because the perception of video games and youth was one of innocence or playful rebellion, not gory violence. Mortal Kombat was responsible for the creation of the ESRB rating system that has determined what games are suitable for youth since then.
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World of Warcraft is the most popular Massive Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Game (MMORPG) to ever release. It wasn't the first and it wasn't the last, but it was the most influential. These games shifted the focus in video games from single-player experiences to online experiences. This allowed for gamers to intermingle and evolve their culture. For someone outside of that world, the players could be seen as addicts with no grip on reality, and that perception colored the perception of youth.
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The app store brought a ton of kids into video games in the early 2000s with the almost countless mobile games available to purchase, This also brought a new perception of young video game players that young players only play mobile games.
