ARE THEY SIMPLY ANTI-SOCIAL? THE TRUTH MAY SHOCK YOU!
Many people rely on entertainment as a form of escapism, or in other words, a way to escape the boring monotony of everyday life.
In a survey I sent to many college aged students from around the world, about 1 in 4 of them admitted that Covid-19 has had NO impact on their social life. How is this possible some may wonder? The answer lies in games, and in most cases, video games.
Video games over the last decade have seen incredible growth as those who don’t feel as socially inclined as others have found solace in a medium where they can live vicariously through a virtual avatar.
These are the types of people who have had no impact on their social lives even though most of the population has. As one anonymous survey participant put it, “VR (Virtual Reality) games with friends really helps with feeling lonely. It’s almost as if you are with each other.”
So what kinds of games are virtual students playing socially?
When asked how many people their games could incorporate, about 75% of them stated that a minimum of two or more people could play while the other quarter said that the games they play are geared towards an individual experience.
Despite that, one survey participant said, “It should always be good to know or learn what kind of games you’re into. That way even if you’re like me and prefer to play with friends, when they are not available and you wish to play games, that you’ll always have something in your wheelhouse you can find fun with just yourself…”
So for those of you who feel as though you can’t socialize with your friends while cooped up in your house, you can likely find a game or two that’s accessible to just about anyone.
Some examples of games that incorporate multiple players that the surveyors included are Among Us, Minecraft, most Mario titles, the Jackbox Party Pack and Tabletop Simulator, just to name a few.
For those looking to enjoy games alone but still also want to feel part of a community, those surveyed noted that certain games like Persona 5, Xenoblade Chronicles, Sudoku, Animal Crossing, DOT:O, The Outer Worlds and Hollow Knight have all been noted to have great single player experiences.
And if you’d like to share your love for these titles while also interacting with others who feel the same, you could always seek out communities that are centered around these particular games on places such as Reddit, Discord, Facebook and YouTube, just to name a few.
The video game community as a whole is very welcoming and a lot of times geared towards introducing people into their worlds, as the individuals passionate about their communities are always looking for new players to spread the joy with.
One of the survey participants said, “As someone who lives alone, gaming and the gaming community has helped me feel connected in ways that are way deeper than just calling up a friend. It makes you feel like you’re working together and are a part of something.”