ABSTRACT

Interpersonal communication is the number one use of the Internet at home (Kraut et al., 1998). Video games have adapted to this trend with great success, as the popularity of online video games is on the rise (Wu, 2010). However, along with the success of online gaming has come a growing concern about the possible consequences of prolonged interaction within these new social spaces. Aspects of social competence, or rather incompetence, have become one of the primary concerns in relation to this new social media. Despite the fact that online games are highly social spaces, the players of such games have become anecdotally and empirically characterized as socially reclusive, inept individuals (Kowert, Griffiths, and Oldmeadow, in press; Kowert and Oldmeadow, 2012; Williams, 2005; Williams, Yee, and Caplan, 2008). Although numerous demographic studies have refuted these negative characterizations of online gamers, the prominence of these stereotypes has not diminished (see Axelsson and Regan, 2002; Cole and Griffiths, 2007; Griffiths, Davies, and Chappell, 2003; Kowert and Oldmeadow, 2012; Williams, Ducheneaut, Xiong, Yee, and Nickell, 2006; Williams et al., 2008; Yee, 2006).