Online Gaming offers Social Networking positives

I was searching for new social networking tools when I came across this article titled “Online games meet social networking tools” from a USA Today online article written around 5 months ago. What I liked about it was that a 41-year old lady used the Internet to play a game called Kaneva (never heard of it before) and loves it for socializing. It sounds similar to Second Life (even though it’s not a game) in that she runs a virtual nightclub and hosts parties in the game. She says “it helps her interact with people, not provide escape from them as traditional games often do (Slagle).”

This struck me as a pleasant difference than what we usually hear about how gaming keeping us from socializing with people because it isn’t face to face. Because a lot of people play these types of games instead of watching television or using other media, the people who partake in this type of activity could be considered to be socializing more than they would otherwise.

I had never thought of socializing like this before. One could say they were socializing when playing online games like WOW or other similar games because they are chatting with each other and actually socializing, even though it might be about the game itself. These people are doing more socializing than I am when watching television in the evening, right?

There is always a lot of negative talk about how online gaming keeps people from actually socializing. For once they talk about how we would not be socializing regularly anyway, so evening online gaming is a good way to socialize. I don't know, I just feel they are absolutely right, at least for me. It doesn't make me not want to socialize at all. I am a social butterfly in real life. Online gaming is fairly new to me and I don't do much of it, but not because I don't want to; because I haven't had time since going to college. I am looking forward to doing more of this type of thing after I graduate.

I like this different take on gaming. It’s nice to hear something positive come out of it.

Here is the link if you want to check out the article:

Online games meet social networking tools