Online games and attitude

Watching how people behave themselves in online games and treat others is a very sad affair.

Self-centered, egoistic, common use of bad language and insults, complete lack of respect for others, in some cases no moral concept for issues like cheating or lame behavior ... the list is long and, at a closer look, not very comforting.

The main reason for this general attitude is without doubt the lack of social control and social repercussion. People get away with a kind of behavior they could not show in presence of ’real’ people (or at least rarely). But since online gamers sit alone at their homes they feel free to express themselves as they feel like, and usually that means a rather poor attitude. In fact, in cases of lamerism this is antisocial behavior, while cheating is nothing less than criminal behavior (on a very small scale, yes, but it’s fraud none the same).

Now one could easily say: This is the world of online games, either you accept it or you better stay away, but there’s no point in complaining.

Bullshit!
You should better think this through more carefully ...
If somebody is displaying poor or even bad behavior, a questionable or bad attitude in online games why should one assume this person would show a better attitude in real life. Yes, as mentioned before the main reason allowing such behavior online is lack of social control, and real life is offering more social control. Yet, nobody’s encased in social groups completely, and the amount of control differs highly depending on the group. A person will show a different attitude towards his parents than his friends, or his teachers, or strangers. And real life does also offer a certain range of anonymity, where your actions don’t necessarily point back to you.

I’m asking myself if online games are amplifying the tendency of ’antisocial behavior’ (to lump together the complete range of poor attitude up to criminal behavior).

Do online games - without any explicit intention - promote and even encourage this kind of behavior, the more as poor behavior will far too often dominate over a ’proper attitude’ (since only a small percentage of servers are admined, and even admined servers don’t necessarily enforce ’good behavior). What should keep kids growing up with such experiences from carrying over that behavior to the real life, at least in areas they feel they could get away with it. If somebody gets comfortable with insulting others in online games do you think he will do otherwise in real life (at least as long as he’s safe from getting beaten for it)?. If someone is allowed to ruin the fun for others by acting lame in an online game what should keep him from doing the same in real life (though in real life he might be doing it more secretly)? If somebody is allowed to cheat in online games without any major consequences at all, is it reasonable to expect that this person will definitely not try to cheat in real life?

I’m NOT saying that online games cause bad behavior or poor attitude. But the lack of social control does amplify tendencies towards such behavior and since such attitude can be displayed without major consequences (if at all!) it encourages others. And I’m sure this will show in real life at well.

Online gaming has become very popular and very common, especially amongst young people. All this will reach a much higher stage once online gaming is fully implemented into console platforms. In just a few years we will have complete generations which have grown up with online games. And there’s no use denying that this does have an effect on the socialization process of kids (the more as the former major social group - the family - is breaking apart which increases the influence of other groups).

Online games are not ’just a game’! It’s a place of social interaction and it’s a place of displaying social rolemodels. This might sound pretty thick, but it is true, as it is true for each instance people interact with each other (direct or indirect). In a way we - the gaming scene - are imprinting the behavior and attitude of adolescents, too. Consequently the industry as well as the communities have to be aware of that and should try their best to acknowledge a certain responsibility.

This editorial can be discussed here on the PF forums.

PS: I found myself struggling with the question if I should replace that word ’bullshit’ I used above by something more appropriate, especially since I’m talking about the use of bad language on servers. But though this is bound to be used against me I decided to leave it in. While writing this word was my initial choice, and I have no intention to submit to any kind of political correctness, not even my own .