Gamer Culture

As technology continues to increase society has become more inclined into using it as a means of communication. After all are, are you not reading this in hopes to gain knowledge or communicate with me on a topic of similar interests? The social media trend is an excellent example of societies obsession with social media. Friends are formed on Facebook and tweets are used to talk with people across the country. But these interactions are not just limited to social media platforms. 




Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games, commonly referred to as MMORPGs, have received much attention in the last few years, not only because of their traditionally controversial storylines, but because of the social communities forming around them. Games like World of Warcraft and the Diablo series allow users to create online personas. These personas intact and play in fictional worlds. Different types of relationships sometimes friendly and sometimes even romantic are created through these popular MMORPGs. However some critics and communications researchers find these games to be socially destructive in regard to human interaction. 


I am not an avid "gamer", however I have experimented with some MMORPGs such as Call of Duty and The Sims. Through my personal use of these games I have discovered the positive and negative effects that this type of interaction can have on an individual. 




The gamer culture surrounding these types of games brings us to one main question: Is play simply a diversion and recreation, or does it have a role in more task-oriented activities? This blog is meant to connect my personal experiences to the scientific research found in numerous academic journals and accredited research by professionals in the communications field, in order to answer that question.




Now if you'll excuse me I have to help my Sim achieve her life long career goal. 


-Kristen C