Not All Gamers Are Low Scorers on Friendships, Relationships: A Critical Analysis

Not All Gamers Are Low Scorers on Friendships, Relationships: A Critical Analysis

Introduction

In early upbringing of almost every child, play is a drive that instigates intrinsically. Nowadays, there is a shift in the game play from the actual that is the physical and material world to the on-line and electronic world to a large extent. This fact is demonstrated by the revenues from the sales of software. In the year 2010, the retail sales for the PC and video game software summed up to around15.5 billion US dollar ( Kuss & Griffths, 2012). Online and video gamings have gained massive popularity in the present days not only among the kids and youth but also among the adults. Computer and video game industry have developed into a multibillion dollars industry in present days as mentioned earlier. With the increasing popularity, it is significant to look at the gaming with the outlook of what influences it has on the life especially the social life of the gamers who are involved in it. A critical analysis of an article based on this outlook by Penn state published in Science daily is mentioned here.

Critical analysis of the article

Based on the article “Not all gamers are low scorers on friendships, relationships” (Penn state, 2012), following assumptions can be made:

Not essentially the life of all the gamers is characterized by weak and deteriorating friendships and affiliations.

The way an individual or a gamer is engaged in gaming activity decides how his or her social life will be influenced.

The people who principally engage in the gaming activity, as a means of, strengthening social relationships undergoes increased social bonds and hold.

Behavioral measures, for instance the total time and money invested in games, do not pertain to the achievement of success or failure of the person involved regarding his or her social life and social bonds.

Being involved in gaming activity is not necessarily an unconstructive practice all the time.

The claim made in the article that not essentially the life of all the gamers is characterized by weak and deteriorating friendships and affiliations are true to a large extent. Most of the researches nowadays challenge the perception that passionate video and online gamers are unsociable and lonely people. Quite the opposite, the findings and results put forward that gaming is, in fact, a means to remain associated and linked with acquaintances and companions. It reinforces, instead of deteriorating, social bonds (Mozes, 2013).

Gaming obsession, however, do have adverse effects pertaining to social life. Individuals who are obsessed to gaming activity come across such circumstances repeatedly; wherein they have to decide if they should relate with the actual and physical world or carry on existing in their online and video gaming world. Despondently, the physical world seldom comes first (www.video-game-addiction.org).

Online games, which require more than one player, characteristically promote communication and contact among players. A number of such games go even to the extent that interactions with other players become a requisite for playing ...