Social-Benefits-and-Risks-of-Online-Gaming-w
Online gaming involves playing computer or video games over a network like the Internet, most commonly using devices such as smartphones, computers, virtual reality headsets and specialist consoles. It can provide a range of social benefits and skills, from improving coordination and problem-solving to building friendships with other players from around the world. But it also exposes young people to risks like cyberbullying and sexual grooming.
Online video game play has a rich history that dates back to the early days of packet-based computer networking in the 1970s. The first online video game, a text-based MUD (Multi User Dungeon), was created in 1978, followed by the first commercial online role-playing games and online shooters in the 1980s. The early graphical online gaming platforms of the time, such as MSX LINKS action games in 1986 and the Famicom modem’s online Go game in 1987, were precursors to today’s MMORPGs and massively multiplayer online titles, which allow hundreds, even thousands of players to engage in social play over the Internet simultaneously.
The popularity of online multiplayer video games has led to the rise of esports, where gamers compete against each other in organised tournaments. Although the mainstreaming of esports has noticeably, if not entirely, mellowed some gaming channels, there is still a strong culture of online multiplayer gaming that permeates a large part of the industry. Cliff Bleszinski, the former developer of Gears of War and CliffyB’s own studio, Riot Games, has a unique perspective on the shifts that have occurred in the gaming landscape during his 30-year career.
As online gaming has evolved, publishers have become more adept at extracting money from players. Token reward systems that reward players with in-game items are now commonplace, and have been refined to target specific player behaviours. For example, Halo 2 rewarded its players with ranks and levels, while Destiny 2, a looter shooter, rewards gamers with ranks, gear tiers, seasonal content, and in-game currencies.
Shy individuals may benefit from the social utility of online video game play in overcoming their traditional social difficulties, as demonstrated by previous research. However, the relationships between ES, gaming-related friendships, and online video game play require further investigation. Future studies are encouraged to assess both the quantity and quality of friendships and test if these relationships are specific to shy individuals. Wg77 are also encouraged to consider different assessments of shyness, beyond ES, and to investigate the effects of other individual-level predictors on online gaming-related friendships.
