It has been over 60 years since the first true video game was created. In that time, gaming - as it has come to be known - has moved from university research labs into the living rooms and bedrooms of many people throughout the world. Globally, the gaming industry is worth over 100 billion dollars, reaching an estimated 2-3 billion players. Amateurs and professionals alike have attempted to slow this growth with concerns about adverse effects, many of which are legitimate. However, little research has been done regarding the potential positive outcomes that gaming can have - namely, its power to strengthen and increase the social ties of its users.
Of course, there is the argument that social communities based entirely online cannot replicate in-person connections. Interestingly, for those who suffer from severe social anxiety, the reverse is true: online interactions may be the only place where they feel safe enough to reveal their true selves. In addition, COVID-19 has served as an example of the strength of online communities - for many gamers with established networks, life has not changed drastically. This is noteworthy when considering the uncertainty of the future: with the threats of new COVID variants and increasingly catastrophic weather patterns on the horizon, the online spheres may become the safest place for friends to congregate.
College students in particular should not rule out gaming as a method of forming friendships. The pandemic has torn a large hole in the social fabric of campus life - making friends aside, students have been left wondering how to form those precious networks that high school teachers preached about. While many clubs and events have been restructured to suit online modalities, no platform is more prepared to adopt this shift than gaming is. Gaming has even been shown to help people form more diverse social connections, which can allow students to expand beyond the confines of cliques or ethnic barriers.
Still, it is not a perfect solution. Some social problems become aggravated by the anonymity of online interactions - sexism and misogyny being the chief suspects. While female-identifying players make up nearly half of all gamers, negative stereotypes and rhetoric are pervasive in what seem to be male-dominated competitive multiplayer games, where some of the largest communities exist today. This problem is being addressed by community members and game developers alike, but an increase of casual players will certainly help all players avoid the more ‘toxic’ interactions.
Let’s not forget, though, that gaming can be fun, and even educational! There are art games, space exploration games, role-playing games, cooperative games, puzzle games, building games, science games, sports games - the list goes on. There’s even a game where the player acts as a customs agent, or a telemarketer. Gaming is associated with an increased potential for entry into STEM fields, increased spatial cognition, and better hand-eye coordination.
Many gamers have been told that friends they make online are not “real," or that gaming is a waste of time. As gaming and online friendship increase in popularity, it’s important to recognize the harm these stigmatizing statements can cause. Anything which exists in this world is real - virtual or not. We all reserve the right to waste our time. Ideally, we can waste it with friends.
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