Videogames and friendships

It is often presumed that videogames negatively affect children’s abilities to conduct ‘real friendships’ and that they encourage isolation.

However, as researcher Alex Hetherington explains here, videogames can bring people together to solve problems and share experiences. Alex discusses how playing ‘League of Legends’ online introduced him to lifelong friends, and how the online social platform Discord encouraged communication that extended far beyond gameplay and into real life.

Have you developed any friendships through videogames, perhaps connecting through a shared love of a game in real life or online? Have you noticed how children’s friendships form through an interest in videogames?

Please let us know your thoughts in the comments section.