With the world as chaotic as it is these days, and with people as isolated as they are, it’s sometimes hard to feel connected to our fellow humans. Many people struggled throughout quarantine, and even now, as we began to social distance. As a society, we had to adjust to the reality of not seeing our friends, loved ones, and even strangers everyday. Humans are social creatures by nature, and this seemed to be a long road for the general masses- and for some, that road was bumpier than others.

As the months dragged on and it became increasingly harder to communicate with those we once used to speak to every day, it was obvious that there was a new issue in need of being solved. People’s mental health is a fragile thing- and with the exhausting monotony of their days- they needed a hobby that would not only satiate their hunger for variety, but also socialization, “That was a really rough time, (I) had just gone through some emotional trauma, and it (playing videogames) helped me to distract myself and ease the problems and torment of reality while also helping me build a deeper connection with my friends- now my Minecraft family,” Said Isabel, 17, senior at Cass High School.

Many students especially have been helped by the social interactions they gain from online gaming. Not only can they communicate with their friends via a common interest- building world skills and satisfying their need for conversation- but they can also meet new people who are also in search of companionship during such an isolating time. “Red Dead {redemption} Online really helped my soul. it was really good for the pandemmy {pandemic},” Jackson Jones, 18, senior at Cass High School said, “I made some good broskis {friends}.”

It’s not only the younger generations that are gathering happiness from online video gaming but the older generation as well. Many elderly people find video gaming foreign and hard to approach, but many have also pushed past the stereotypes of the past in order to have an enjoyable experience with those they love. And even if some of the older generations can’t connect to people as easily, it gave them a new outlet to work on while their bodies stayed idle, “I’d play so much, day and night,” Shirly Curry, 84, famous videogame YouTuber said, “I’d just go out and conquer continent after continent and I loved it.”

It’s obvious that people of all ages can enjoy videogames, and do enjoy videogames- now more than ever. The social aspect of videogames, which was previously overlooked because of the ‘violent’ stigma stuck to them, is now at the forefront of the pandemic. Not only does playing videogames- online or single-player- give people a way of communication, but it also gives the general public a new hobby to explore. There are many types of videogames and the options are endless. There’s something for everyone and it helps to keep bored minds busy. Between building community houses in Minecraft with your friends, adventuring around the beautiful scenery of Skyrim by yourself, or surviving and conquering on Rust with people you’ve met online, videogames are the central hub for social interaction during a time in which communicating with others has become somewhat of a struggle.