In today’s day and age MMOG or mass multiplayer online games are played at any time seemingly everywhere in the world. There are so many options of consoles to use ranging from Playstations to Xbox’s to Nintendo Switches to so many PC options and even other consoles not mentioned. Now, I am not going to be someone who writes about how games are terrible, dangerous, no good etcetera. I enjoy many games myself and find it a good way to blow off some steam and a good form of communication to talk and play with my friends in different locations in the world. However, sometimes I am not just playing with my friends.
On almost any of the consoles, I mentioned there is a feature in which you can play online with anyone anywhere else and you even get to hear them and speak to them. This can be fun with friends and sometimes with strangers too. However, there is always at least one person who cares far too much about the game you guys are playing and starts to get really mean, and rude, and can say some devastating things to you while online and while others are listening. While I understand being frustrated with some games as I often get when I feel I should have progressed levels or I die due to a cheap shot someone took while hiding in a corner, I do not ever feel the need to degrade someone just because I maybe think they are not as good at the game as me or because they’re new, and I certainly do not feel the need to insult them about something that has nothing to do with the game like how they look, their weight, gender, sexuality, living circumstances, etc.
Unfourtently though, there are so many people who do this. Like myself, many people play games because they enjoy them and it is freeing for them. Sadly though this may stop being the case for people when bullying behaviors occur making them not want to play anymore losing what may be their one and only source of relief or happiness. I have been someone who has taken things I have been told on a(n) MMOG to heart but was able to bounce back because I have a support system nearby. Something that needs to be considered is that to some their support system is being on these MMOGs and getting to interact with other people.
To some, they can take the cyberbullying that occurs (not that they should have to) but there are far too many more people who can not and get hurt because of this. I have lost far too many people in my life due to cyberbullying and I am left every day wondering not only if these MMOGs are worth the mental warfare that I have received but to those who needed someone’s help and suk out the help of people on an MMOG and ended losing because we have not done enough to remove terrible people like these from these platforms.
Reference:
Ballard, M. E., & Welch, K. M. (2017). Virtual Warfare: Cyberbullying and Cyber-Victimization in MMOG Play. Games and Culture, 12(5), 466–491. https://doi.org/10.1177/1555412015592473