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Video Games Are Not Socially Isolating

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Video Game Influences on Aggression, Cognition, and Attention

Abstract

Since their popularization, video games have developed a reputation for being antisocial spaces. However, this is somewhat contrary to the wealth of social opportunities and functions which contemporary gaming offers, as well as what much of the research in the area suggests. This chapter will outline the key claims and draw on research findings from the academic literature, in order to debunk much of these anecdotal and old-fashioned conceptualizations of what gaming is and who gamers are. This will include a discussion of the various ways in which gaming can be experienced socially, the effects of social play, and how these effects may vary depending on the specific type of game and context of play.

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Notes

  1. 1.

    While some nonverbal cues, such as interpersonal distance (Lomanowska & Guitton, 2012; Yee & Bailenson, 2008) and those expressed through emoticons or emojis (Gunawardena & Zittle, 1997), have been integrated into online games, the nonverbal cue systems of online games create a world where verbal and nonverbal cues are disjointed (Moore et al., 2007).

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Communication, University of Münster, Münster, Germany

    Rachel Kowert

  2. Department of Psychology, Edge Hill University, Lancashire, UK

    Linda K. Kaye

Authors
  1. Rachel Kowert
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  2. Linda K. Kaye
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Psychology Department, Stetson University, DeLand, Florida, USA

    Christopher J. Ferguson

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Kowert, R., Kaye, L.K. (2018). Video Games Are Not Socially Isolating. In: Ferguson, C. (eds) Video Game Influences on Aggression, Cognition, and Attention. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95495-0_15

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