In the past, the typical hangout spots for kids were playgrounds and street corners. But today, they're just as likely to be hanging out at castles or on battlegrounds.
In this case, the castles and battlegrounds are virtual environments in what are known as "massively multiplayer" online video games, or MMOs. But contrary to the common perception that video games isolate people and stunt sociability, some of these MMOs "promote sociability and new worldviews," say Dmitri Williams, a speech communication professor in LAS, and University of Wisconsin researcher Constance Steinkuehler.
MMOs draw in millions of players worldwide to interact with each other online in 3-D computer fantasy worlds. Williams and Steinkuehler claim that by providing places for social interaction and relationships beyond the workplace and home, MMOs function not like solitary dungeon cells, but more like virtual coffee shops or pubs where "social bridging" takes places.
They even liken playing such games to dropping in at the famous Cheers bar "where everybody knows your name."
"Spending time in these social games helps people meet others not like them, even if it doesn't always lead to strong friendship," says Williams, who combined survey research with interviews and even played the games.
However, he and Steinkuehler caution that heavy game-play might not be positive in the short-term for people who need strong connections, since it could take the place of healthy offline relationships.
"It's really a question of what kind of balance the person has in their life," Williams says. "For that reason, online spaces are not a one-size-fits-all phenomenon that can simply be labeled as 'good' or 'bad.'"
