Multiplayer games are awesome. They're a great way to relieve some stress and have fun with your buds. But sometimes you'll across people that are straight up toxic and they spoil the experience.
Toxic players are generally people who whine, complain, and blame others for their team not winning. They resort to trash-talking, intentionally feeding kills to the enemy, refusing to play, and other acts that essentially ruin any chances the team may have had. They take the game too seriously and vent their frustration out on others. They bring people down with them. They get so focused on the faults of others that any criticism (constructive or not), no matter how inoffensive it may be, is seen as a personal attack to them.
They're the killjoys of gaming; the cock-blocks of fun.
The online gaming world is filled with such people. Whether it's League of Legends, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Super Smash Bros., or the more recent Overwatch; toxic people have become one of the stigmas associated with the culture along with being antisocial overall. While that may not be the case with every gamer, the community has its fair share of immature, insecure, and/or socially awkward people. This is true of any group of people, however, the gaming community seems to gain a lot of attention compared to others.
Don't get me wrong; gaming can be amazing. I've had amazing experiences staying up with friends trying to beat a game's campaign or moments where we were hanging by a thread in an online death match and then came back victorious in the last second. I've met wonderful people who are compassionate and kind beyond belief. I've had deep, intimate conversations with people while were on a murderous rampage. I've discussed dreams and aspirations with complete strangers. Gaming has always been a huge part of my life and that will never change. Plenty of people can relate with my experience. Gaming has brought so many people together who otherwise would've remained complete hermits. They've also inspired people to create some of the most beautiful art and music I've come across.
When I try to look at if from their point of view, I think of their actions as their means of venting. There are plenty of videos of people raging at their screens because they were assassinated by a better player. Or they miss a shot and scream foul play. Their frustration is understandable, especially when playing more competitive games. Nobody really likes to lose (though the ones who grow usually reflect on their losses and move on). Unfortunately, this way of venting often leads to the destruction of the team's morale. The irony of their actions is that it makes things worse despite their desire to win and it was that same self-centered desire that snowballed their chances of losing.
In the same way being pessimistic or negative all of the time only serves as a detriment to your livelihood, so does being toxic. Unfortunately, the gaming community doesn't properly address this kind of behavior. They either ban them or do nothing at all - both of which promote more of said behavior. With the current widespread of gaming today I feel like it's more important for people to address it. The question is: what should be done? Should anything be done?
Without diving too deeply into moral values, I think the best we can do as individuals is learning to not take games so seriously and have fun with them. That's what games were originally made for anyway, yeah? That's why I love games. They are meant to be enjoyed. I think some people get too caught up in the heat of the competition that they forget this, it stresses them out, and it spirals down into toxicity.
The next time you come across a person like this (in a game or in real life) try not to take their frustration personally. They're probably just venting, even when they get personal. Laugh it off, move on, and keep in mind that you're playing to have fun. Nobody, no matter how toxic they are, should prevent you from enjoying something you love.
Peace
Toxic players are generally people who whine, complain, and blame others for their team not winning. They resort to trash-talking, intentionally feeding kills to the enemy, refusing to play, and other acts that essentially ruin any chances the team may have had. They take the game too seriously and vent their frustration out on others. They bring people down with them. They get so focused on the faults of others that any criticism (constructive or not), no matter how inoffensive it may be, is seen as a personal attack to them.
They're the killjoys of gaming; the cock-blocks of fun.
The online gaming world is filled with such people. Whether it's League of Legends, Call of Duty, World of Warcraft, Super Smash Bros., or the more recent Overwatch; toxic people have become one of the stigmas associated with the culture along with being antisocial overall. While that may not be the case with every gamer, the community has its fair share of immature, insecure, and/or socially awkward people. This is true of any group of people, however, the gaming community seems to gain a lot of attention compared to others.
Don't get me wrong; gaming can be amazing. I've had amazing experiences staying up with friends trying to beat a game's campaign or moments where we were hanging by a thread in an online death match and then came back victorious in the last second. I've met wonderful people who are compassionate and kind beyond belief. I've had deep, intimate conversations with people while were on a murderous rampage. I've discussed dreams and aspirations with complete strangers. Gaming has always been a huge part of my life and that will never change. Plenty of people can relate with my experience. Gaming has brought so many people together who otherwise would've remained complete hermits. They've also inspired people to create some of the most beautiful art and music I've come across.
When I try to look at if from their point of view, I think of their actions as their means of venting. There are plenty of videos of people raging at their screens because they were assassinated by a better player. Or they miss a shot and scream foul play. Their frustration is understandable, especially when playing more competitive games. Nobody really likes to lose (though the ones who grow usually reflect on their losses and move on). Unfortunately, this way of venting often leads to the destruction of the team's morale. The irony of their actions is that it makes things worse despite their desire to win and it was that same self-centered desire that snowballed their chances of losing.
In the same way being pessimistic or negative all of the time only serves as a detriment to your livelihood, so does being toxic. Unfortunately, the gaming community doesn't properly address this kind of behavior. They either ban them or do nothing at all - both of which promote more of said behavior. With the current widespread of gaming today I feel like it's more important for people to address it. The question is: what should be done? Should anything be done?
Without diving too deeply into moral values, I think the best we can do as individuals is learning to not take games so seriously and have fun with them. That's what games were originally made for anyway, yeah? That's why I love games. They are meant to be enjoyed. I think some people get too caught up in the heat of the competition that they forget this, it stresses them out, and it spirals down into toxicity.
The next time you come across a person like this (in a game or in real life) try not to take their frustration personally. They're probably just venting, even when they get personal. Laugh it off, move on, and keep in mind that you're playing to have fun. Nobody, no matter how toxic they are, should prevent you from enjoying something you love.
Peace
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| Being toxic only drags you (and others) down. |
What kind of toxic people have you met?
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