6/16/2021 Blog Post 7

I have been thinking about the research paper and have focused on games that can develop interpersonal relationships, such as virtual reality and online games. Additionally, how those types of games can affect isolation.

The reason why I decided to talk about it is that I have recently been into playing games and have tried to contact other players online. One of the examples I can share here is about when I played Animal Crossing. When I started to feel bored playing all alone, I found that my favorite amateur comic artist said that she was going to open her island code, which is a number that you’re given to where you belong in the game. If you want to connect online without becoming friends on the Nintendo Switch, the shared code will let you play with other players. I was very lucky to be selected and to visit the comic artist’s island. A provided medium that we used while playing was text-based. Although there was an obstacle that hindered our communication, such as delayed responses, it was a nice experience to interact with other players. This event was the first time I’ve played an online game with others, and I experienced that there was a positive effect on my social life. Since the interaction, I started to search on Twitter for people that want to play with me in Animal Crossing. Then I found that many people shared their island codes with a couple of pictures of their islands. Whenever I felt attracted to their islands, I contacted them to see if I can visit. This time, we used a voice call while playing so that we can communicate smoothly. After I connected with them in the same game, I felt that it reduced my isolation due to the pandemic and found someone who I might be able to commit to an interpersonal relationship. I think, not only me, but other people may have experienced interaction through communications. Therefore, for this research project, I want to find more people who academically explained their experience with communities online.