Know your Avatar: mods, energy drinks and the vibrant, contested world of online gaming

Overview Controversy over the potential impact of video games on users has come and gone since the first games came on to the market. Today, online gaming is a global billion-dollar entertainment industry with game development becoming more inclusive and exponentially increasing in sophistication, accessibility, and popularity. The development of new advanced digital technologies has been accompanied by the widespread assumption video games can have real effects on those who play. For some, games can improve problem-solving skills, be good for social interaction and even improve hand-to-eye coordination, while for others, games encourage anti-social behaviour and can lead to problem behaviours. One thing for sure is video games are not neutral places where people simply interact and play nicely. They are social, vibrant, contested, politically charged zones where people of different ideologies compete for the hearts and minds of audiences. From casual players to enthusiasts and professional gaming competitors the gaming community is part of a growing worldwide online network of entertainment, competition, and education. However, it remains intriguing the video gaming world has not yet been considered alongside other media as a major underlying medium of human interaction in the digital age.

Key Takeaway • Understand cognitive influence and effects of video games through game design and social functions

Outline - presentation will cover • Game playing • Community • Design diversity • Parasocial relationships • Social change • Cognitive motivation • Immersion and flow • Food • Problem behaviours • Benefits • Future