Hello and welcome to another Side-Quest episode of Talk This! It’s Dangerous to Podcast Alone! This time, it’s Madelyn’s turn to choose a topic! We talk about how games can foster social connection, as well as how they can’t.
As always, you can listen to our podcast basically anywhere you want. Check it out on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, and Pandora (or head over to our episodes page for even more options). Or just listen below!
The Topic
What sorts of social spaces are games promoting? How do gaming boys and gaming girls use video games to connect with existing friends and make new ones? What are some positive and negative effects of this? Is there a gender or class difference here?
The Actual Discussion
A Talk This! podcast hangout on @explodingpompom 's Animal Crossing island! pic.twitter.com/EFEdKeqkmM
— Talk This! @ wash your hands (@talkthispodcast) March 29, 2020
You know what, we stay pretty on-topic this time. We talk about our limited experience with voice chat in games and why were generally avoid it when playing online. We discuss the social stigma of gaming friends, and whether that may fade with time like with online dating. We also touch on how online gaming spaces could be made friendlier and safer even if, unfortunately, it’s all about capitalism.
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Enjoy the episode! Tell us what you think in the comments or on social media. Make sure to check out last week’s episode and look forward to next week’s where we’re talking about Minecraft and Code Vein.
And don’t forget to check out our YouTube channel for the Play This! series, Flashback Fridays, Clickbait Boyfriend Behind-The-Scenes, and other random content! I promise, new stuff coming soon! Sigh.