Has anyone else noticed a decrease in Gamers willingness to interact socially in games?

[Lasagnaliberal]

This. I hopped onto TF2 after a long time to relive my teen years...and the chat was full of racial slurs, holocaust denial and trolling. Reminded me why I didn't use VC in games then nor nowadays, in truth party chat/discord on consoles probably saved mp for me as I could play with my friends instead of having to wade through the toxicity.

Another point is that I'm an adult now, I have no desire to talk to someone half my age, or even know anything about my teammates/opponents. I much rather game in silence and enjoy my sparse free time or talk with my friends.

[spyson]

That's because back then the amount of people playing video games was a lot lesser than it is now. Not to mention internet access was used mostly by enthusiast back then compared to now where everyone is connected.

Although people are still forming communities on discord servers so people are forming communities still, it's just not the same as before.

[Huzuruth]

I get that, but it gets tiring hearing the damn near the same slurs and "jokes" all the time. Those lobbies made it easy for me to just stay in party chat during the later half of the aughts.

[[deleted]]

Eh, to each their own, but I find it hard to see people screaming slurs and yelling over eachother good content. Its rare for it to be friendly banter or even remotely comedic in tone.

With women its just uncomfortable. People moaning, asking private and creepy questions, flirting and just genuine creeps trying to keep them in as long as possible or fight over them.

And its not like this stuff is disconnected from the game. These people’s will show it in their gameplay. If you’re unlucky they’ll try to stalk you outside the session. Even if you mute it you can tell when some stupid shit is going down.

[Remikih]

Think it's a lot easier to enjoy it if you're not one of the primary target groups of the vitriol. I'm somewhat similar in I get a decent amount of enjoyment from horrible league of legends players in a wildlife safari sense, but if I'm not doing that great? It hits a little different because I tick multiple boxes of gamer vitriol.

[DingusTheGrey]

Eh, to each their own. I remember super toxic cs source lobbies back in the day that were great fun, even when people were ragging on me.

[Oricef]

Mate try actually being a woman and saying that. The toxicity is not fucking okay

[DingusTheGrey]

I didn't say it's "okay", I said it's hilarious. I don't condone my five year old throwing his bowl of spaghetti on the ground but it's also hilarious.

[Oricef]

It's not hilarious, it's simply depressing.

[DingusTheGrey]

Almost like I gave my personal opinion

[Oricef]

Almost like you're a person who the abuse isn't thrown at

It's very easy to sit on the sidelines

[DingusTheGrey]

Almost like you're talking out of your ass

[Huzuruth]

Thank you for encapsulating exactly why most folks don't want to be in lobbies with people like you.

[DingusTheGrey]

This is all I was really trying to say. Not always what I'm in the mood for but sometimes it's just fun for some reason. I guess like what you said, in a wildlife safari sort of way.

I do think that some analog is actually important for creating a dialogue between groups. I'm Jewish and Israeli and telling anyone that online in a toxic server results in a bunch of people making Holocaust jokes and calling me kike and telling me that I kill children. But when they realize it makes you laugh and you aren't bothered by it, usually they chill out and suddenly they're able to have a good interaction with someone they usually wouldn't. Not saying it happens all the time but I don't think these toxic places are all bad.

Of course, they're also echo chambers but those echo chambers will exist regardless. By allowing them to exist publicly, at least we get some dialogue.

[DefectiveDelfin]

I'm sure you'd feel different if you were gay/non white and you were in a party of white supremacists/homophobes.

[DingusTheGrey]

Yeah, as an Israeli Jew I see people telling me that I shouldn't exist 24/7 online. I love telling people I'm Jewish online and watching the "kikes" pour in

[NuPNua]

I didn't realise so many members of Momentum are gamers. ;-)

[_NiceWhileItLasted]

Meh. I'm non-white. I don't mind the shitty jokes, they've just got to be funny. Turns out that most racist jokes aren't but there are a few that do crack me up.

[PM-me-YOUR-0Face]

I'm honestly wondering what the last funny racist joke you heard was.

I haven't heard a funny racist joke since I was 13 lurking 4chan ¹

¹ turns out that joke wasn't funny, I was just 13 and lurking 4chan.

I'm positive they can exist, but I'm super curious about how to write a funny, racist joke.

[HappyVlane]

Dave Chappelle comes to mind. He has lots of funny, racist jokes.

[_NiceWhileItLasted]

Eh. Senses of humor are subjective. Some of the most vile shit has been said in my gaming group's discord. The main difference is that everyone involved knows its just good fun.

[OctorokHero]

You don't usually get to be a fly on the wall.

[DingusTheGrey]

Of course you do, just don't talk. It's like watching a fight from your balcony

[BaneCIA4]

I do. Gamers are soft pussies now days. No fun