The Catholic church, Facebook and the value of game communities

You've probably seen the Sunday Telegraph's sensationalist interview with Archbishop Vincent Nichols, the head of the Catholic Church in England and Wales. Nichols takes a moral swing at the virtual friendships formed on social networking sites, claiming these brittle relationships represent the commodification of community and the death of interpersonal communication:

"Too much exclusive use of electronic information dehumanises what is a very, very important part of community life and living together."

"Among young people often a key factor in them committing suicide is the trauma of transient relationships.

"They throw themselves into a friendship or network of friendships, then it collapses and they're desolate."

He is, of course, specifically targeting the likes of Facebook and Bebo where 'cyber bullying' would seem to be a daily reality for many (although certainly not all) teen users. It's a shame, though, that his broadside against the whole concept of virtual community completely ignores the hugely positive impact that online gaming has had in many young lives.

Sure, if you're going to just drop into a public Modern Warfare server on a Friday night you're going to catch a fair amount of abuse (though being castigated for your poor aiming skills is unlikely to plunge you into depression). But look at the vast, creative and hugely altruistic communities that have built up around games like Quake, Unreal and Half-Life. Look at the big PC casual gaming sites, which are as much about meeting people as they are about playing simple puzzle games for a couple of hours every other evening. Look at lasting relationships that have been formed in World of Warcraft, Eve Online or any other MMO.

The whole clan structure of online gaming has facilitated a new social strata in which ability is the only relevant merit - not looks, not cool clothes, not devastating wit. Ability. And actually, if you're playing with the right bunch of people, even ability isn't that important. You just have to turn up and be a good sport.

As a videogame magazine editor, I received dozens of emails from teenagers who saw multiplayer games as a life-saving diversion from the pitiless inter-personal fascism of school life. But that's not headline news, I suppose. No-one wants to hear that adolescent lives have been enriched by technology.

guardian.co.uk

Posted by Keith Stuart