Online games were supposedly....
Online games were supposed to be turning our kids into introverted loners but wait a minute... studies are showing that contrary to popular belief, the online gamer is a part of an enormous social experience where it doesn't matter what you wear or whether you're having a bad hair day. You're part of a network of people with a common interest, interacting in the setting of the world within the game.
Haven't our teens been trying to tell us this for years? My son, an Everquest veteran, spent at least 3 years showing me his character, his gear and his skills while I tried to look interested until the day he convinced to me play during a free trial. Before the trial ended I had purchased my own game CDs, bought the subscription which for a month was less than the cost of getting into one movie, and joined him in the online battle between good and evil. We have the best fun adventuring around together, talking in the game chat and communicating within our new common interest.
I agree that there are extremes but it's that way in all of life, you can spend too much time, effort and attention in any given niche but what I've done is slotted my online gaming into the category of entertainment and if I have an hour a day for entertainment and the game is my choice for the day, good for me. If I don't have an hour then I don't play the game. Moderation and common sense usually work for most people.
From the Sydney Morning Herald
Asher Moses
August 16, 2007 - 12:01PM
Online games like World of Warcraft are supposed to be turning us into loveless, lonely introverts, but Emma Marshall just doesn't see the connection.
She's made countless friends while battling shamans and warlocks online, and even counts World of Warcraft as a critical tool in maintaining a long distance relationship with her boyfriend, DJ Hummerston.
"I guess it's a cheap way to go on a date, especially when he lives 5 hours away from me," Marshall, a 21-year-old radio journalist from Tamworth, said.
"Some couples go to the movies and out to dinner somewhere ritzy, we go to the Sunken Temple and he helps me get better gear."
A new study conducted by Nottingham Trent University suggests she's far from an isolated case. It found one in 10 players who regularly played online games had started a physical relationship with a fellow gamer, and most had made good friends while playing.
Flag it:
