Bonding between people is amazingly easy. For those that have trouble with people skills in the real world, the fantasy realm of online life serves as liberation from public bonds. An online person doesn’t like you? Change your avatars name, race, faction, guild, etc. Not so easy in the real world. In a nation where time is of the most valuable of resources, a gamer can connect with hundreds of his/her closest allies in minutes of logging on and stay connected to them through in game communication systems, like a guild chat, regardless of what their character is actually doing in-game. From my own experiences, I have friends that live in Australia and Germany. In the most conservative sense I would never have been able to foster a real friendship with someone from a different country, let alone a separate continent close to 10,000 miles away, without learning a new language fluently and participating in some sort of foreign relations job field. The social networking abilities of these games are astounding.
In a different sense, the impact the computer has on some people is very interesting in a different way. The fact that you are in front of a screen and not in actual view of a living person changes certain aspects of people’s mental behavior. Rational, benign in daily public view gives way to irrational hate-speech and warmongering when the fear of personal consequence is lifted. It is a bizarre empowerment. Those that have little confidence with others socially turn into the most brazen offenders online. Social mechanics that we would normally hold in respect, at the very least subconsciously, are often brushed aside on purpose. Take a look.
Some experts may disagree with the identity being the true culprit, but there is no dodging the difference in online and real life behavior
Besides the social aspects, a burgeoning economy awaits those who know to look. I personally know people who have invested 20 – 30 man hours leveling an avatar just to sell it off for profit. Those more attached to their creations can spend weekends doing repetitive, and often menial, tasks to acquire in-game currency which is then supplied to an online site that trades real world money for the transfer of the in-game dollars from account to account. No wonder economists look at games like World of Warcraft as models for existing forms of economic systems. All due to 10 million people who interact with each other over the internet.
It is a very interesting argument. I do agree with you. In reality it might be hard to be friends with people that are distant away. But with the instant click in the game, people may be friends. These friends might be well connected through these games. Friends are those who share common interests. That specific game could be their common interest in life and online.
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