Games and Socialization of the New Generation, Essay Example

Introduction

The below paper is designed to reveal the impact of gaming on young people’s socialization patterns. The main thesis the authors  would like to examine is that online gaming negatively impacts interpersonal relations. While contradicting statements exist, claiming  social gaming educates and socializes adolescents and young adults (Ito et al., 2008). the majority of related literature confirms a correlation between gaming and socialization. Further, the below study will attempt to develop a research that is suitable for measuring the impact of social gaming on people’s interactions, communication and collaboration patterns.

Research focus

The authors would like to examine whether social gaming increases individual collaboration skills. Are young people able to learn from play through games? Or is it an environment that – despite social and collaborative features – creates lonely players who sit next to the computer or TV console all day? In brief: does social gaming improve or affect people’s socialization outside of the virtual media environment? The main correlations to be examined through the research are: online gaming exposure, social skills, social gaming exposure, collaborative skills. The below reviewed literature will provide the authors with statistical and research data that determine the above correlations in question.

Literature review

Kowert and Oldmeadow reviewed the literature concerning online gaming’s negative impact on one’s sociability. The authors state that the term: “electronic friendship” was first introduced to research terminology in 1984 by Senlow. Several other authors concluded that virtual friends were slowly but surely replacing real friends. The authors further determine the definition of social competence as “effectiveness in social interaction” (100). There are several approaches to social competence, such as the social skills approach, based on the individual’s skills for social interaction. Kowert and Oldmeadow further conclude that while online gamers are different in their socialization pattern, and some authors claim that their real social circle declines as their online gaming activities and circles expand, there is no evidence based on the research covered by the study that online gaming has a negative impact on social competence and social skills.

Dill and Till examined the relationship between gamers’ sexual socialization and the exposure to video games. The authors found that online games reinforced stereotypical gender roles, depicting men as strong and powerful, while women in provocative clothes. The authors also revealed a pattern that showed that female characters have started to take on an aggressive role in recent games, impacting gender images and reinforcing the cognitive connection of players between women and aggression. While the impact of these representations of gender roles on players have not been measured, the study provides a strong indication that games can have a serious impact on gender socialization.

A recent OECD report (Dill) confirmed the impact on young people’s perception on violence, sex, gender roles and reinforcing stereotypes. Quoting related research, the author (Dill) found that “violent video game players show reduction in healthy, empathic brain responses to real-life violence such as gun attacks and that those with these less empathic brain responses were more likely to behave aggressively in the laboratory” (5). While the author states that several video games can be harmful for adolescents’ socialization, they can also be used as effective educational tools.

Arvola and Holmlid determined one of the main motivations for online gaming as “togetherness”. The main statement of the authors is that “togetherness is the social interaction and unity promoted in the use of an artefact. It can promote both immediate and delayed togetherness”(p. 8.) The authors determined social interaction within the gaming environment as “delayed”. Players teased each other about the results of the game after it was played. Therefore, there is an online aspect of interaction and communication that is created in the virtual environment.

Ducheneaut and Moore examined the social behavior in multiplayer environments. They claimed that online gaming positively affects self-organization among players, coordination, sensitivity to others’ needs, leadership, negotiation, and support. While the study focused on the “complex social spaces” of online games communities, the research did not provide information about how these skills obtained by gaming experiences can become applicable in real life communication, interaction and collaboration. While socialization within the virtual environment can be an aspect, there is no evidence that players would achieve higher social competence in their real environment. While social capital might be created through playing, its applicability to non-virtual environments is not proven.

Hickerson and Mowen focused on the impact of online gaming on individuals’ socialization in real life; it had the same focus as the current study. The authors state that despite claims that online multiplayer games improve social skills, several research studies conclude that engaging in online gaming can have negative impact on real life social contacts and school, work relationships. While the authors state that friendships can be strengthened and social support can be obtained through collaborative playing, based on the results of the research, the impact of new relationships and socialization within the real world was not addressed adequately. While the concluding statement indicates that “not all video game play is socially isolating”, it does not address the question of relationship between real world socialization and gaming.

Ito et al. summarized the findings of the Digital Youth Project. Their research has revealed a significant aspect of online gaming and the “New Media”. This aspect has not been researched by previous authors; the context and meaning of friendship within “New Media”  compared to the traditional meaning of relationship, socialization, and friendships.

While the study is mainly based on social media use, the below finding is relevant to the current study. The authors state that “the integration of Friends into the infrastructure of social network sites has transformed the meaning of “friend” and “friendship”. Further, the study states that “development of social norms for how to display and negotiate online Friends involves new kinds of social and media literacy”(22). In that sense, as Ito et al. Confirm, friendship is a “public manner”, instead of a real relationship in the social media (or social gaming) context.

Lee and Conroy examined socialization of teenagers through media consumption. The main finding was that increased media literacy and social gaming, media involvement has significantly changed the socialization patterns of adolescents. The study confirmed that “the interactive nature of the internet appears to promote active socialisation” (17). Therefore, it is evident that socialization patterns in today’s society cannot be measured the same way we used to do it before the invention of online games and social media sites.

Findings

The above research of the literature has not confirmed the initial thesis statement. Indeed,  the majority of research studies have indicated that there might be a positive correlation between adolescents’ socialization and video games. Social video games were found more supportive to socialization, as existing relationships could be strengthened, social support could be obtained, and several skills could be developed, such as negotiation, empathy, strategy, self-organization, collaboration.

The main finding of the above literature research is that no relevant studies exist that measure the quality of interpersonal relationships and the extensive nature of one’s real life support network in the light of gaming involvement. It is, therefore, imperative that a research, focused on these two correlates will be created. The research of the literature has also revealed that existing relationships can be strengthened through gaming.

One correlation, however, has been revealed by the research; online games reinforce gender stereotypes, and they can impact one’s perceptions about violence and ethical considerations, even though the proportion of these violent, highly sexualized games is not recorded by literature.

Implications

The literature review has resulted in an important discovery that needs to be implemented in future research. It is not only the pattern of socialization that has changed due to the evolution of online gaming. The domain of socialization has changed, as well. It has not been revealed whether there are quality differences between online and offline socialization, but it is evident that gaming, social and online interactions have a greater importance in one’s interpersonal relationships than ever before.

Conclusion

The conclusion of the above research is that the negative impact of online gaming and social media use on one’s real life socialization has not been confirmed. However, the role of gaming in one’s socialization cannot be denied. It has a growing significance. It is evident that gaming, networking and social media use has several benefits associated with it, and educators can build programs based on the strengths of these domains to communicate with young people. It is also evident that online gaming does not impair or strengthen social skills and capabilities: it changes them, as people tend to use virtual domains for communicating with real life peers and friends. The boundaries the two types of socialization (offline and online) cannot be clearly defined.

Works Cited

Arvola, M., Holmlid, S. “IT-Artefacts for Socializing: Qualities-in-use and Research Framework. IDA Kinkoping University. 2002. Print.

Dill, K., Till, K. “Video Game Characters and the Socialization of Gender Roles: Young People’s Perceptions Mirror Sexist Media Depictions”. Sex Roles (2007) 57:851–864 2007. Print.

Dill, K.  “The Influence of Video Games on Youth: Implications for Learning in the New Millennium” OECD. 2009. Print.

Ducheneaut, N., Moore, R. “Gaining more than experience points: Learning social behavior in multiplayer computer games”. HI 2004 Workshop on Social Learning Through Gaming.2004. Print.

Hickerson, B., Mowen, A. “Behavioral and Psychological Involvement of Online Video Gamers: Building Blocks or Building Walls to Socialization? Society and Leisure. 2013. Print.

Ito, M., Horst, H., Bittani, M., Boyd, D., Herr-Stephenson, B., Lange, P., Pascoe, C., Robinson, L. “Living and Learning with New Media:Summary of Findings from the Digital Youth Project” November 2008. Print.

Kowert, R. and Oldmeadow, J.  “Party Animal or Dinner for One. Are Online Gamers Socially Inept?” In: Multiplayer: The Social Aspects of Digital Gaming. Quandt, T., Kroger, S. (eds.) (2013). 2013. Print.

Lee, C., Conroy, D. “Socialisation through Consumption: Teenagers and the Internet” Australasian Marketing Journal13 (1), 2005. Print.