This interviewee is a 27 year old Taiwanese male, self identified gamer, has consistently spent the majority of available time on online video games. The interviewee considers himself socially outgoing and comfortable when interacting with people in online gaming environments, but is uncomfortable and shy in offline face-to-face social interactions.
Q: What types of games do you usually play, and how often do you play? How many hours a week do you spend on games?
A: I mostly play FPS (First-Person Shooter) games. Typically, I play a few hours every night after I get home, about two to three hours. On weekends, if there’s nothing else to do, I stay home and play. Overall, I think I spend around 30 hours a week gaming.
Q: When playing these games, do you participate in any online gaming communities or friend groups?
A: Yes, I usually play with people I meet in games. We add each other as friends and use voice chat like the Discord app to play together. I have different groups of friends in different games, I usually check and see who’s online and ask if they want to play. My online friend group is very small and fixed.
Q: In the past few weeks, have you had any face-to-face conversations where you felt uncomfortable or shy? Can you describe these experiences?
A: It happens quite often actually. When someone starts a conversation with me, I might feel awkward after a while, not know how to keep up the conversation or to start a new one. It feels unnatural and forced, unlike when I’m talking to people online where I feel more relaxed.
Q: What if the person you’re talking to face-to-face is a friend you are able to chat with comfortably online, do you think there would be any awkwardness in real life? Would it be different from chatting online?
A: Based on my experience, there’s still a difference. Playing games in my room is very comfortable, and I don’t have to face anyone. In real life, meeting face-to-face makes me a bit nervous as I see their eyes, expressions, and interactions, which makes me uncomfortable despite being able to chat comfortably with the same person in games.
Q: Have you ever thought about overcoming your shyness in face-to-face interactions?
A: I thought about it, but it is difficult. Playing games at home is more relaxing for me, it helps to relieve stress. Reducing this time for socializing outside would keep me tense and unable to release stress.
Q: Have you played board games before?
A: Rarely. But I have gone to board game cafes with my friends a few times, so I have some experience with board games.
Q: When you went play board games with friends, were these friends you knew in real life or were they your online friends?
A: They are my classmates from real life.
Q: When you interact with these real-life friends, do you still feel awkward, or is it natural?
A: It mainly depends on whether there are people in the group who can carry the atmosphere. If there are people who are good at talking and creating a good vibe, the tension is lessened, and I can relax more. If everyone is quiet, it makes me very nervous.
Q: Do you feel more relaxed socially when playing board games? Does the awkwardness decrease?
A: Playing board games definitely reduces awkwardness in the group. When interesting or funny things happen in the game, the vibe becomes very light, good, and relaxed. However, there are also times when the game gets stale, and I will start feeling awkward and nervous again.
Q: There are professional therapists out there who holds therapeutic roleplaying board game sessions to help people practice social skills. Do you think this method will help you? Would you be interested in participating?
A: I think it’s a good idea. Playing games at home and playing games outside both have the same common element of games, which makes me feel more comfortable. It’s just changing to face-to-face interaction. So, yes, I would be interested in trying it out.
Q: If you find any information about such an activity, either through advertisement or resources shared online, would you actively try to participate on your own or would you need someone to invite you?
A: I would probably first look up information online to see others’ experiences and then decide if it’s suitable for me. If someone actively invites me, I will most probably go.
Q: What would make you feel that it’s suitable for you to participate?
A: If most people give positive feedback, I will find it suitable. If I see many positive reviews and comments from others who have tried it, I would want to try it myself.
Thoughts:
This interview provides a practical case that reflects my previous findings. He describes a strong preference for the safe and controlled interactions within online gaming environments, which echoes the research I’ve read previously that suggests such environments offer a sense of safety for the socially anxious individuals.
Linking my interviewee’s experiences with academic insights shows a pattern: the comfort provided by online interactions often leads to a cycle of increased dependency on these virtual spaces, which may weaken real-world social skills due to a lack of use. For instance, my interviewee mentions feeling awkward and nervous during face-to-face interactions, despite being comfortable with the same individuals online. My interviewee also mentioned having thought about improving his face-to-face social confidence, but finds it too challenging.
An important aspect in this interview was his openness to using board games to help practice face-to-face social skills. Transitional activities like board games could serve as effective intermediary steps for those struggling to bridge their online confidence into face-to-face settings. However, a mere nudge in that direction might not be sufficient, a more structured and supportive approach might be necessary. Targeting not only the gamers but also their friends and family could be crucial. Providing these supportive circles with resources and encouraging them to actively engage with their socially anxious peers could result in more significant progress.
Key Takeaways
Online Gaming as Comfort Zone: Online gaming offers a controlled, comfortable environment for socially anxious individuals.
Board Game Therapy: Using board games as an intermediary gaming environment could help transition online social confidence to face-to-face interactions.
Community and Support: Gamers are more likely to participate in sessions if they see positive case studies and reviews, and even more so if directly invited by friends or family.
Evidence
The full recording and transcript can be accessed here. Please note that this content is hosted on UAL OneDrive and requires you to be logged into your UAL student or staff account for access. The video is restricted to internal use and is available exclusively for academic purposes.
