How gaming brings people together
How gaming brings people together
When you think about collaborative gaming, what comes to mind? For many, the immediate response is sports. In fact, one of the last thoughts that comes to mind is sitting in a room on your own. You might be surprised to learn that computer, console and PC gaming are among the most social activities within reach for most people. In this article, we’ll explore how gaming can bring people together and strengthen friendships — and perhaps even create new ones.
A human connection
While some people game on their own, without other people in the same room, they are far from isolated. On the contrary, the internet has made it easier than ever to connect with other people without leaving your own home. Games provide a low-pressure social atmosphere for everything from traditionally in-person titles to more recent releases.
Traditionally collaborative games made modern
You might be surprised to learn that some games traditionally played in-person have been slightly modified for modern players. One of the best examples of this is casino games. In-person betting has largely fallen by the wayside in favour of online options. The casino industry has rallied in response to dropping numbers of traditional gamblers by making more of their games than ever before available online. Trustworthy online casinos make playing with other people easy! Don’t just pick a random operator though. Take a look on Oddschecker to find the best bonuses and offers for your location.
Similar interests and conversations
Finding people who share your interests can be difficult even on the best of days. People who meet each other through a game have a big head-start when creating lasting social connections. Depending on the game in question, gamers often have both light-hearted and serious discussions while playing.
Think of games like Among Us, which became hugely popular during 2020. This game allows players to band together and achieve a common goal to win the game and determine who is sabotaging their efforts. In the process of rooting out the traitor, players often have lengthy low-stakes discussions before and after voting. Other games, such as Stardew Valley, offer players a calming experience that is ideal for more serious conversations.
By enjoying similar games and finding shared interests beyond the confines of the game in question, many people build quality social connections while playing.
Low-pressure social interaction
There has been increasing discussion in recent years about social anxiety and social awkwardness in both everyday circumstances as well as trickier social events. These terms refer to the experience of struggling with social interactions with other people. Both issues are often most keenly felt with face-to-face contact. As you might expect, this can be a significantly limiting issue that can seriously affect building meaningful social connections. This matters because humans are social creatures and without enough social interaction, our mental health can suffer.
Gaming comes to the rescue here by providing people who suffer from social anxiety or awkwardness a safe space to interact with other people. This is true both inside and outside of the game itself. Players might interact in-game using headsets, for instance, as well as out-of-game via Discord or another social media platform. The more they interact with other people, the more comfortable socially awkward or anxious people become with direct interactions.
Are you ready to start strengthening your social skills and discover new ways to connect with the people around you? Gaming might be your ideal next step.
