ABSTRACT

This chapter attempts to draw a more complete picture of the indeed profound implications of video games on contemporary social life. In this sense, for some at-risk segments of the gamer audience, video game violence can indeed be seen as poison for social life, particularly because this poison is mixed with other poisons to synergistically create an adverse impact on personality development and behavior. Thus, the social relevance of early gaming and thus, of single-player gaming, which is still an important mode of game use today emerged from the local communities of players who met at dedicated places and talked about their experiences. A major consequence and indicator of severe problems with video game play is the collapse of social life-excessive players tend to conceal their addiction, to terminate contact with parents and friends, and to solely focus their social life within their online game world.