Video games are a way for many to de-stress after a long day of work or school. Most games are multiplayer, allowing gamers to play with their friends, or even make new ones. Some of the most popular games on Steam, an online gaming platform, are multiplayer games with either voice or text chat capabilities so that gamers can team up and speak to each other to beat the game. These games have led to people making unlikely friends from all around the world.
Making friends through video games is almost easier than making friends in real life. You start with having something in common, loving the game, and you can talk about anything. Being hidden behind a screen takes away the fear of looking weird, and it gives people confidence to say whatever they want to say and be who they want to be. While it is true that some people use this anonymity to be rude, most are incredibly kind and friendly.
“I do think that video games help people to make friends because being able to safely talk to different people with a common interest is something that most of us often wish we could do in real life, but now, because of COVID, we have to stay away from others. Going online and being able to meet and connect with people all around the world and connect over a common interest is something very special that I think makes playing video games and meeting people through video games very unique. It allows people to focus more on WHO the person is and not what they look like or what they do,” freshman Remington Holder said.
“I think it can give people who have trouble making friends in person warm up to the idea since they don’t have to be face to face. Plus, they could then use that game as a way to start a conversation with another person. take among us for example, my crew is mostly quiet but when we play among us together it makes all of have to talk and work together making us closer,” freshman Jake Steinhaus said.
Friends made through video games can transcend time and place. “I have played with my friends’ friends, and I continue to play with them even though I haven’t met them personally,” sophomore Sam Noble said.
“I played Roblox when I was younger, and I made a friend from the UK that I played with all the time that I still talk to and play games with, like Among Us,” senior Tiffany Ton said.
Some friends made online become the best of friends. “One of my close friends I met when I was 11 and she was 12. She gave me advice and the bravery to come out to my parents and supported me when some of my friends and family weren’t tolerant. We are still in touch today,” sophomore Gwyneth Gaunt said.
A 2020 survey over video game age demographics states that 21% of people playing video games are under the age of 18 years old. “You get to meet new people you never would have because video games make it easier to approach others by getting rid of worries like being face to face or not having anything in common,” freshman Jake Steinhaus said.
The McNicholas Milestone 