Do MMOs fuel bullying?
Intimidation. A word that many of us know physically or psychologically, and although this humiliating practice has existed since man rules man, today it is seen literally everywhere, even in the home. A few years ago the MMO appeared. How is it related to bullying?
MMO stands for Massive Multiplayer Online, a game concept that changed the world forever. The high speeds of broadband Internet have given birth to a universe of possibilities for gamers and game developers. What do you see on the Internet as the most successful business? Let me tell you that aside from adult entertainment, there are two big fish in the pond: online gaming and social media. Now imagine, what will happen when you have access to both? Although social networks have their own game concept, there are games that demand much more social involvement from the user.
Games that create a whole universe of fantasy and fiction are the favorites now, these games make you feel in another place, where you can be what you want since it is private, and nobody can see your face or know your name. Sounds good. To be honest, playing these games can actually help develop social skills. But there’s always a downside, right?
In some particular cases, the bullying stopped and people moved on, but not in others. Many players are victims of cruel psychological torture. No, I am not exaggerating, for many players these types of games feel even more real than life, the game becomes their life and they feel through the game. This happens with players of all ages, but increases as players get older, especially when they spend a lot of time playing. We’re not addressing whether or not they should take the game that seriously. The main topic here is how MMOs can be linked to bullying.
Many games are designed to encourage Player vs. Player action, so losing a fight is common in a game like these. Unfortunately, there are no security measures in many situations as Game Masters or admins don’t watch players all the time, thus they can be subjected to verbal abuse and/or PK abuse. PK stands for Player Kill, a common term in these games, abuse occurs when your character is killed over and over again by a stronger player. Dying in these games is often penalized to increase the difficulty of the game. Because of this, when players die over and over again, they end up losing points, fame, gear, or any valuables earned in the game. The worst thing is that they lose their pride as a person. I’ve seen some players I know personally in tears who can’t play what they like without going through hell. For many players it feels that way.
It’s a game after all we know, but sports and many other activities are also real, and bullying exists there too. These closed MMO environments where no one is looking and no one sees your face can encourage this type of behavior. So yes, MMO encourages bullying; players who learn to bully in-game tend to do so later in real life with other people. What’s worse; they start to lose sight of the boundaries that tell you what is a joke and what is cruelty. Their reality becomes “intoxicated” or “tainted” by the moral standards they display in the game.
As I said, there are good things to be learned and exercised in these games, but in my opinion, MMOs encourage bullying only because bullying exists in the real world. Because for this parents need to be attentive to what their children play, even if they are teenagers they have to monitor their behavior online, it is very possible that they show the same with other people outside the virtual world.
MMO games exist because people like them. If the bullying continues to increase, then the joy of playing these games and real-world games may be lost. Bullying is something that must be corrected, yes, but do not forget that there are many places and circumstances where it exists, and now there is a new virtual universe with millions of users, where real people are also victims of this type of humiliation. .
Another issue is also how much time players spend inside these games, I will deal with this in a later review.
Greetings to all.