All one has to do is take a look on any social media platform or search any engine on any topic that has to do with gaming to see that streaming and online gameplay is all the rage lately. Instead of going to a friends house or getting together with a group of people to play games, all kids have to do is sit down in front of their own preferred console and log in. Whether it is Playstation Network, Xbox Live or any of the multiple pc platforms, kids have unlimited ways of connecting with friends and unknown allies from around the world.
A game titled Destiny was released on September 9th, 2014. It was a game, released on Xbox and Playstation, that based its' gameplay mechanics around an online experience. As soon as the player finalized the alterations of their character and stepped foot into the first area, they are surrounded by players from around the globe. This type of global interaction has been a crucial steppingstone to where we sit today. There is almost no more want for basic knowledge. All one has to do is reach into their pocket and pull out the latest smartphone and surf the web.
Granted, this amount of freedom and access is good and helpful, it can also cause children to skip certain developmental stages in life. Public speaking is one of these major stages. Kids find it harder to speak in public or in groups, including friends, when the only interaction they get outside of school is through a text message or via a game chat room.
Online gaming has definitely taken the community by storm over the last few years and now offers some of the most entertaining and attention grabbing material to be released into the video game community. One can only speculate that this already massive community will do nothing but continue to expand over the next decade or so. Will these developments and advancements cause similar disruptions in childhood development or will we start to see that gamers utilize this new platform to teach? One can only sit back and watch as this massive community of online gamers grows and spreads through the kids of today.
