Rinka ZhongWhenever we talk about MMORPGs and their fans, “active” and “social” always come to mind first. It is true that the original meaning of MMO is massively multiplayer online games. If one does not enjoy interacting with others, then he will avoid the MMO label altogether.
Therefore, it sounds like a reasonable inference that in reality players who love socializing will choose multiplayer online games. But is that really the case? In the following, we will use FFXIV examples to make a concrete argument.
There are several FFXIV fan-run bots on Chinese social media. Among them, those responsible for helping post player remarks are the majority.There are players who share the role of screenshots, reviews and analysis of the plot. But the main reason for people to subscribe to these bots, is to pay attention to the ‘quarrel related posts.
Take the longest running one, ‘Speak to Mother Crystal’, as an example. Each day, Mother Crystal receives over 200 posts from players, nearly half of which are arguments about the game’s content. Surprisingly, much of the content includes words like “mental illness” and “depression” that will not be mentioned when we talk about social frenzy. So, what is the context of these words?
As a rule, quarrelsome posts always contain the following information: IDs of the accuser and the accused, the cause of the dispute, the course and, usually, a less-than-perfect ending. Most of the posters’ intentions are that they want other players to comment and to give a heads up about the person’s questionable style. Generally speaking, the post of an argument always contains the following information. The ID of the accuser and the accused, the reason for the argument, the process, and usually a less-than-perfect ending. The intent of the poster is mostly to have other players comment and give a heads up on what is questionable about the person’s style.
The term about mental illness, on the other hand, usually appears after the person being accused of miscommunication with others. For instance, when lost in the teamwork task, someone did not take the initiative to apologize, but insulted others did not help to make up, and vent their anger on social media platforms; one in the gaming couple (The definition of couple here is not real couple, but people who just play together, and when they log out, they will no longer communicate too much.) is always interference too much on the other’s game time and play style, even in the way of threatening, and so on. I have only given two examples here that are relatively simple to understand, while in reality much more serious pitches than these abound. Even more, there have been legal issues such as personal safety involved. So, is it true that most of these people suffer from mental illnesses? Although there are no clear data surveys, it is known from various sources (such as their own statements and my related experiences) that there is indeed a large percentage of people with mental illnesses. The reason why depressed players choose to play MMORPGS will be described below.
As depressed people do not want to go out, they express themselves more on the Internet. Just as the most introverted person is likely to publish countless blog posts a day, depressed people prefer the online world because they can best explore it while avoiding the greatest risks. The risks here include, but are not limited to, expending too much energy in communicating with others only to be devalued, to have expectations fall short, or not keep appointments themselves, etc. It is relatively easy for these things to go wrong in reality because of the complex external factors involved, i.e., physical, eye contact, etc.
The good thing is that the network has blurred the unbounded limits of socialization. Many people with depression often fail to notice others’ reservations about their information and resistance to external newcomers when they interact with others in reality. As a result, it is easy for patients to cross the border and leave a bad impression, but they always seem to understand only after they have left. This realistic socialization further deepens their fear of communicating with the outside world. Whereas on the Internet, people label themselves distinctly on their accounts, and patients become relatively clear about what others don’t like and what others just love.
The most obvious point is that the excitement brought by the game can effectively weaken the pain caused by depression. I believe that everyone is well aware that depression manifests itself in more than just psychological suffering. In cases where the brain stops receiving positive feedback, the patient’s body can also experience a variety of pain or discomfort. This is called the somatization reaction and it may worsen when stimulated. Many kinds of depression are caused precisely by suffering neglect or ostracism from others. However, if having friendly friends to accompany each other on the way to play your favorite game, the gaming experience will be greatly enhanced. In reality, sufferers may not be able to make friends who travel and experience the pleasure of traveling together. But in the game, as long as they are willing to open their mouths, there will be people willing to adventure, take raids, and laugh and shed tears at the plot together. It’s really a small price to pay and a big gain. After experiencing the feeling of being accompanied and cared for, the physical manifestations of the patients’ real-life illnesses are much lessened. This is a very key reason why depressed people tend to love MMORPGs more instead.
But the very essence of communication is the same, whether online or in reality, the parts that should not be touched such as the hidden side of others, if involved, will still give each other unpleasant trouble. In the beginning I mentioned that many depressed players get into trouble with others because of careless words, and they can’t even realize their mistakes.
The internet gives everyone a better environment and easier way to make friends with people who share the same hobby, but if we go too deep and try to escape reality, we will not get happiness either online or in reality.
