Chee, et al. “Online
Gaming and the Interactional Self: Identity Interplay in Situated
Practice.” Summit, 1 Jan. 1970, summit.sfu.ca/item/13571.
Summary:
Due to the popular belief
of online gaming taking away the real life social worlds of gamers, these
authors have created this article to debunk that theory. They suggest that
online gaming is not an addictive place where gamers have social discord, rather,
it is a place where you can also build social skills. In fact, they believe
that, “these worlds are more integrated than may initially appear”.
Response:
I agree that when online
you are in total control of your character and are able to have the confidence
to do anything. You aren’t being held down by “social norms” and because of
this, you are able to be your ideal-self. This holds true if for example, you
want to be a hero that saves people but are afraid and not confident to do it
in real life. People like this may turn to the game Skyrim to walk around that virtual world saving people and taking
on those side quests to help others.
I also agree that during
online gameplay, social interactions are taking place. Even more so if when you
meet someone in an online game, you exchange numbers/emails and begin a
relationship (not always romantic) outside of the game. Doesn’t that in itself
demonstrate that online interactions are also linked to real world
interactions?
Quotations:
“…the internet is a
paradox: it is both a ‘social’ technology but one that decreases quality time
offline leading to reduced ‘psychological wellbeing” (1).
“Unlike offline
ethnography, however, people can be very much in control of the character they
choose to be as opposed to having one’s attributes assigned due to ‘accident of
birth’” (3).
“…the notion of ‘community’
is both an empirically observable co-presencing of individuals and, at the same
time, an ‘imaginary’ social construct” (6).
“…the interactions of
gamers are not merely play and fantasy but also social interactions that occur
within intersubjective and existentially-rooted and ‘real’ engagements that are
also intimately linked to gamers’ ‘real’ offline lives” (6).
“The life-world of
players and the ways community experiences are described by them are just too…integrated
into the everyday life of everyone concerned…” (15).
Terms:
traditional ethnography- the scientific description of the customs of individual
peoples and cultures; immersing oneself for an extended period of time in a
given field site while attempting to build rapport through networking,
experiencing what it is like to live as a local through daily life and guidance
from acclimatized locals
Hey Priscilla, great posting. I would have to disagree with you just a bit. Not fully, but a bit. The reason I say this is because as people we live in a real world that consist of human face to face interaction. Now, not to say that this isn't valid or current in the virtual world but we do have to also be present in our physical world as well. Some people, mainly gamers, tend to get lost within a world that is not physical but allows them to be a better part of themselves. Yes, you socialize and exchange email but when it comes to real world socializing, studies have shown, that addicted gamers tend to be socially awkward and or have self-esteem issue. This negative perception with themselves is what causes the addiction to a MMRPG which allows them to be accepted into a community that allows him to be what he wants to be.
ReplyDeleteHi Priscilla, that is an interesting article, when it comes to being social, a lot of people still feel that if you are spending hours playing games, then that person doesn't fit the "social norms." I believe that you just need to have some kind of balance in your life. Whether the gamer is trying to find self-identity through games, or they just enjoy a good game.
ReplyDeleteThis is an interesting post, Priscilla. I played video games a lot, at one point of my life, and I'm kind of unsure of how video games teach any meaningful social skills. As an adult, I can make the distinction between a fantasy world and the real world. when I play a game, like Super Mario Odyssey, I can understand that the character is completely fictional, but if I could be a video game character in real life; I'd be Super Mario---for sure! Video games are an escape for reality, but if I wish I could be Super Mario in real life, to some extent, then there's probably a connection between gaming and digital identity, somewhere therein.
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