This week, I watched What Streaming Means for The Future of Entertainment, by Emmett Shear, which is a ted talk that focuses on video game streaming. The main idea of this talk is that streaming is a big part of video games especially the community part of them.
One idea that I found interesting was the viewers' responses on a stream. I thought it was interesting because they were asked what streaming does for them and so many people responded with things like “ it got me through the rough patches in life”, “it gave me friends” (Shear) etc. This just showed me how video games mean a lot more than what meets the eye.
It made me wonder about video game communities and the positive aspects of them, so I looked up some more information about this idea. On the website The Guardian, I found more information about how they work. A piece of information I found was how inclusive yet specialized they are.
I really liked how in this article it was very positively focused. I found a quote from Howard Rheingold that said “In a virtual community we can go directly to the place where are favourite subjects are being discussed, then get acquainted with people who share our passions or who use words in a way we find attractive”(Stuart). I just really liked this quote because it sums up how the communities start and why there are so many. Gamer communities are important because they bring people together of similar interests. These communities start as friends but in so many cases they turn into families and lifelong buddies. I know many people who have better online friendships than in person. One of them has had an online friendship that has lasted eight years and running!
Just as going out and making friends is encouraged by parents, teachers, peers and even strangers, video games should be as well. Gaming communities are just really important especially as our world is becoming more and more digital.
ExplorerBob. Child Play Game. 26 Mar. 2018. Pixabay, 27 Mar. 2018, pixabay.com/photos/child-play-game-technology-3264751/. Accessed 18 Dec. 2020.
Shear, Emmett. "What Streaming Means for the Future of Entertainment." TED, Apr. 2019, www.ted.com/talks/emmett_shear_what_streaming_means_for_the_future_of_entertainment. Accessed 16 Dec. 2020.
Stuart, Keith. "Gamer communities: the positive side." The Guardian, 13 July 2013, www.theguardian.com/technology/gamesblog/2013/jul/31/gamer-communities-positive-side-twitter. Accessed 18 Dec. 2020.
Tianya1223. Keyboard Technology Office. 12 Nov. 2019. Pixabay, 13 Jan. 2020, pixabay.com/photos/keyboard-technology-office-internet-4759502/. Accessed 18 Dec. 2020.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this post about gaming/streaming and how it can create amazing friendships you never thought you could have. It truly is a way for people to create new bonds through a whole different reality. Do you personally play with any gaming system yourself? If so, have you met any new people from it who you still stay in contact with today?
I don't personally play video games but I know so many people that do. I think its interesting because when I watch someone play games they are just so happy and connected to the people they play with and its just really amazing how tightly bonded these people are even though they often live hundreds of miles apart.
DeleteKatie, interesting blog! I was able to understand your point of view for video games, and the bonds that it builds. I feel like a lot of people portray video games with a negative connotation but it was interesting to learn about the positives that you stated in here.. Do you think these bonds and relationships that are formed between gamers are worth the unhealthy screen time, cyber bullying, or addictiveness that video games can also result in? Also what are some popular platforms that people use to communicate and game on?
ReplyDeleteThere definitely has to be moderation for screen time and addictiveness especially for younger gamers but overall I think these bonds that are formed are worth it because of how tight and long lasting they are. The are risks associated with anything that has to do with strangers for sure but most of these games have single or mutiplayer options. Another quick thing is that alot of people start with gaming communities from a friend in real life and make more friends from that starting point. I don't really know mamy popular platforms except discord but thank you for bringing that up, its something I should look into!
DeleteGood discussion of one of the main ideas from the TED Talk. Do you see any downsides to people connecting in this way? Does it prevent people learning to socialize in person, or do you think that isn't a skill people will need as much in the future?
ReplyDeleteI don't really think it prevents people from learning to socialize but if video games are all a person does then it could become a problem. Especially with current events and most things being transitioned to being online I think the gamers do have a bit of an advantage going to this new way of living mainly just due to knowing how the technology works and which ways are best for online communication.
DeleteI really like your overall writing and how you used personal experience in your blog. Do you think gaming will become more liked by parents in the future?
ReplyDeleteI love seeing your view on the subject, using personal experience. How do you think you would convince adults that talking to people online isn't much of a bad thing as they may think?
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