The title maybe a bit confusing, as it has been said before that video games and new social media were designed to INCREASE social interaction, not diminish it. Though the trend with this increase in interactions has become rather inclusive to the living rooms and bed rooms of the players, equipped with their special headsets talking with one another. It has become less social and more dividing, in this writer’s opinion. It takes away that since of physical presence, the connection in which we as a group grow closer and form bonds.
An evening with friends.
Don’t get me wrong, I am all for gaming in that said form of play, headset and sometimes anonymity are perfect for some random matches such as Modern Warfare or Halo but the problem with that is it starts creating a horrible habit for some people. It creates the idea that in order to communicate or meet new people that they can only do so through an online connection and a controller.
I see that there is a lot of the pot calling the kettle black, as a gamer and a socially inept individual, but that is where my problem stems from, the over use of social networking tools and online play that I never truly never developed the right way to go out and just talk with people.
“Would you like to play a game…umm…that is…if you don’t mind?”
For example:
Today at Six Flags Over Texas, there was a Resident Evil 6 event, in which those who pre-ordered/bought the game from Gamestop received a free pass to the park and to the haunted houses. They also setup a demo area in which we were able to play the demo of RE6 and there was even a give-a-way for the game. Well while there, among like minded and interested group of people, yet I couldn’t speak to any of them, not even those who were playing beside me could I speak to, or the ones who held the special RE6 lanyard and badge before I knew what they were for in order to find out said information. I have always been horrible in social situations and today was no less of an reminder.
The point is that through years and years of internet anonymity has created issues in at least one person’s life, being mostly mine. I as a warning to other gamers out there, not to stop playing anonymously but rather increase your time spent with your gaming buddies or at least pass on to others that lesson I have learned the hard way to deal with.
