A new study from Loyola University in Chicago, Illinois tells us something that we've known all along: online gaming promotes social interaction and aids in the development of expressive skills. The study involved several hours of research done online while playing the game Counter-Strike. Observers noted that while the play of the game was extremely straightforward, the strategy and planning was much more akin to a game of chess than a simple videogame. Researchers also noted the complex relationships and emotions that a player will go through in the process of playing an online game. Even though they are in a simulated environment, experiences a player enjoys is as valid as any other social interaction that may occur offline. You can read more about the study at BBC News Online.
USER COMMENTS 40 comment(s)
|Promotes social skills? (8:22am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
Well, it may promote interaction with other people, but the types of things players say to each other on Counter-Strike aren't something I'd like to see in a good, real life environment. Yelling things like “j00 sux0r i will 0wn j00” at someone who upsets you is hardly healthy interaction.
Don't get me wrong: I thoroughly agree that online socializing is just as valid as real life socializing, but I don't think FPSs are the place to learn such skills. I think this study was just another excuse for students to sit around and play video games all day. – by Jacob
|Hmmm… (8:30am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
Online communities who have no touch with reality… sure they have social skills, but none of them are useful in the real world!
I site a great example: I used to frequent an IRC channel years ago. They were so caught up in their “community” that they had a whole system of government. They had crime and punishment, upper class and lower class. It was really quite rediculous. These people had no LIVES!!!! I got out of there and have never gone to IRC since… – by Noob Saibot
|online gaming rules (8:44am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
its great the interaction between real people instead of bots that repeat them selvs is great
maybe they will put it on the school curriculum – by fosri pabos
|Ok… so (8:55am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
L33t-H@x0R-C@p-A-Cop: j00 suck
L33t-b1$0n: F— You bitch!!!111!
those are real valid social interactions, eh? – by Warplex
|What's next? (11:04am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
a report on how web cams with neeeked ladies hones your lurve skills
“show us your ass”
“do you like anal?”
– by spacca
|Right (11:31am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
I wonder when people will realize that online socializing isn't the same as offline socializing because 70% of any conversation is body language.
It just gets worse and worse ….. – by Fat Tony
|FREAKS!!! (11:34am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! FREAKS!!! – by FREAKS!!!
|morons everywhere (11:40am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
I don't dispute you find morons in online chat venues and in games, however, is this not real much like a real life scenario? As far back as Eliza during the early years at MIT showed that interaction was addictive even when people knew it was just a program. – by slack
|I agree!!! (11:47am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
I love Counter-Strike, Im so darn addicted to Counter-Strike.
It is the best game, and I've made a lot of new friends since I started playing it!!
WOOHOO for online gaming!!!
– by The Scavenger
|Halarious (11:59am EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
Today is valentines and I'm still planning on taking my girl out instead of spending the evening on the SIMS online or something. PC's will never increase social skills – only increase rudeness and overt impacience in social situations. – by PCSkeptic
|Well (12:05pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
I socialize outside of gaming but I also enjoy playing some online games.. through them I have made some great friendships and we are now friends beyond the games. So I see posts here about it being odd and I can see how that could happen.. people lying about who/what they are.. but not everyone is like that and not only children play games. maybe some people need a broader exposer to the gaming communities before they spout off about it. – by Avid Gamer
|PCSkeptic… (12:07pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
I don't think anyone will sum it up better than that.
If this online “socialization” is all kids use to develop their skills – then we're in for a generation of rudest, most disrespectful, short attention span idiots yet. – by Kwestron 2K3
|we don't care (12:30pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
where's the editor? do you know you should remove irrelevant news? we don't visit geek.com to hear something relevant to the tech industry, not to get a dose of sleep zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz – by wedontcare
|attn editor (12:33pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
where is the editor? why are you posting things that are academic studies? anyone can do a “study” and claim that anything is good or bad for people. we visit geek.com to get updates on TECHNOLOGY, not sociology. – by wheres the editor
|RE:wedontcare (12:34pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
it's not all about you and don'tspeak for all of us unless you know us. – by anti – dolts
| need help with firewall (3:18pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
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|Busted (6:30pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
i'll go mass hydra and guards
yellow get d
hurry b4 map is maxed – by 0clut
|social (9:04pm EST Fri Feb 14 2003)
If you can make friends playing video games, that's definitely a cool thing. Don't discount the relationships formed just because people say stupid things. Why do you think the pres is up there. – by Extremely Insane
|The median (1:00pm EST Sat Feb 15 2003)
Social skills require, by definition, social interaction. In an online world this is never possible as you never make any contact with the person beyond the median you use to “talk”, IRC, games ect.
This means that you are essiantly talking to people who are no more real than the game or the client you are using.
If you believe that they are “real” you are mistaken. They exist, but only in the median. Outside that they are different people, who enjoy doing different thing. – by Equinox
|… (8:21am EST Sun Feb 16 2003)
It seems half of you guys didn't bother to follow the BBC link and read the entire story. It has some valid points. “But studies of players and teams are showing that these games are much more complex than many people suspect.” RTF..er..Article. – by Terrorists Win
|Jeeze (11:47pm EST Sun Feb 16 2003)
Why can't someone just do both? Do you have to be an obsessed gameaholic or someone who never touches a PC? – by jonathan s.
|creativity!!!!! (12:30am EST Mon Feb 17 2003)
The best game system will be the most creative: it will be online, do extra stuff(play dvds), will have great games, and graphics(you won't need a blender or washing machine to power it).it will have the most memory and ofcourse the power 1000 times that of the ps2 it will be……………………………
……………………the P[_/Y ST/T|()|| 3 – by playstation man
|Not Real Social Interaction!?!? (1:45am EST Mon Feb 17 2003)
OK first off, social interaction is plainly interacting with other humans. So if what Equinox says is right, then talking on the phone or over AIM or any other form of communication other than physical voice sounds is invalid. That would make this entire site one big program shooting out meaningless garbage. Personnally i think that video games are a great way to build social skills, as long as they are not the only sorce of social interaction. I mean you talk to people, plan strategy, etc. I play games all the time and have made several friends online. I learn about their lives, families, where they live, jobs/schools, and pretty much anything you would know about your friend living next door to you. – by JoeMoses
|Interaction (9:56am EST Mon Feb 17 2003)
The only game I play online is Halo and my interaction with others is limited. The way I see it is that my limitations (such as not being able to type or talk to the other players) have forced me to be more intuitive. Instead of just shooting everything I see, I keep an eye on my team to see if I can figure out what they are planning. Or I take the role of the leader. I don't know how much this actually benefits me in life but it makes the games a lot more fun! – by STRICT9
|thoughts of the almighty prober (3:29pm EST Mon Feb 17 2003)
What is being forgotten here are hte countless lan parties that have taken place all over the country. I play counter-strike online to improve my counter-strike skills. When i go to lan parties to use these skills is when i meet exciting new people. there are a huge amount of teens i wouldn't know if I didn't game – by Prober
|shut it “play station man” (11:01am EST Wed Feb 19 2003)
the best console will be xbox 2 and you know it. – by dark rider
|ride on dark rider (11:02am EST Wed Feb 19 2003)
you're right the best console will be the xbox 2. – by gdffhgfggggggfreewwq
|everyone knows (11:04am EST Wed Feb 19 2003)
the worst console will be the ps3.the best console will be xbox 2. – by BOB
|why is everyone argueing (11:07am EST Wed Feb 19 2003)
everyone knows that ps2 suck and xbox rule and if you have a problem with that tell the brilliant microsoft – by cheese burgers
|Crappy Consoles (1:28am EST Mon Mar 10 2003)
ps2 and Xbox suck… Get a PC – by PC man
|mini golf online (1:20pm EST Thu Mar 13 2003)
is the best time spent!
– by alexz
|Games destroy Social Skills (11:59am EST Wed Oct 08 2003)
I stopped playing video games altogether about four years ago. I'm realizing that video games are anti-socializing force. – by nakana
|what is wrong with society ?? (5:10pm EST Tue Jun 01 2004)
what ever happened to going out and just havin fun in the sun? challenge your body and mind at the sam it instead of just your mind. i don't disagree with computer games….they can enhance th ebrains capacity but there needs to be a happy balance and not one extreme versus the other. i sometimes hope computer games would just vanish but then i would be screwed bc i love my computer for the availability of info but common people. i hate to say this but get a life and go socialize with people who are infront of you so you can learn how to read their signals and reactions. they won't be havin lil smily faces that they hold on to show their emotions…. – by surfgirl
|computer games (1:35pm EST Thu Oct 21 2004)
it depends on how much time a teenager put in an online gaming.if he puts half hour,that is ok,because it is a change but unfortunately the game is so attractive that he forgets to eat his meal.and for this reason it is more harmful than useful.without a strong will it is better not toplay online gaming. – by abe
|ghfghgfhdf (12:02pm EST Mon Mar 07 2005)
sfdkutfdoh ghlktetoog – by I R TEH HOTZZ
|im l337 (11:37am EST Fri May 06 2005)
ive been playing cs for a loooong time and ive seen ppl get annoyed coz i poon them so much it FUNNY ^_^
– by Freddy:)
|im more l337 (11:40am EST Fri May 06 2005)
LOL, pooned ?=D
i head shotted a guy dat thinked he was leeb? I IZ T3H L33bz0r!!
|MORE LEEBER YAY ^_^ (11:45am EST Fri May 06 2005)
did u know that ppl find friends on cs becoz they like to kill each other?
thats why i have friends in real life though :)
i killed my friends familly I FUNNY^_^
im joking but ots fun to make friends online, becoz u dont feel to hurt when they cuss u, coz u dont know them
also ppl dont hate eachother personally if some1 acts like an idiot, like Team Killing. SO IT GOOD :)^________^ did i mention i r cpl? – by freddy:)
|oi (1:18pm EST Wed Jan 18 2006)
honestly, whos the n00b here
l337dud3: pwn j0
parentA: OMFG!!! U PLY VIDOGAMEZORZ?!!111!!!! U GONA KILL MEEEEEEEE !111111111111
… I rest my case – by porgon
|oh (1:20pm EST Wed Jan 18 2006)
oh, and I DO say j00, pwn, and l337 in real life as well ass online
so stuff it n00bs – by porg