The art of conversation and debate continues to fade.

No matter where you go in this wacky gaming world of ours, people have set up their camps, dug in their heels, and embraced the ugly parts of tribalism. It’s hard to go anywhere to have a reasonable online discussion these days.

Of course, this is the Internet we’re talking about. Many believe tribalism and vitriol are just part of the package. Sure, that may be true, but does it have to be that way?

I don’t think so.

I don’t have a lot of in-person friends who share similar interests with me. Since that is the case, I turn to online communities to find that sense of belonging in many of entertainment interests.

Boss Rush, for example, has been an excellent place to find those who share my interests. In fact, I consider many of those I’ve met here to be close friends despite never meeting them in person.

To me, that is the beauty of online communities. Unfortunately, Boss Rush is the outlier.

I’ve also joined many communities where there is an insane amount of vitriol over disagreements. If you have the slightest disagreement with someone, the response is usually irrationally angry.

For example, I have seen the turn-based vs. action combat debate turn really ugly. This came to head in many circles during the leadup to Final Fantasy XVI.

The debates never surrounded the merits of keeping Final Fantasy turn-based, but rather devolved into personal attacks on someone’s intelligence or their status as a “real fan.”

It got so bad at times that it led to the silencing of many opinions, exemplifying parts of a communication theory called the Spiral of Silence.

Look, it’s OK to disagree. It’s OK to have differing opinions. Heck, it’s OK to even vehemently disagree on points. None of that is the issue here.

Where I believe this crosses the line is when the debate shifts from the actual merits of a game to being a way to unfairly attack someone. I mean, we all can remember the logical fallacies from high school and attacking someone instead of the issue is one of them.

We can disagree without being disagreeable, especially online.

The Internet has become a place that can connect people who otherwise might not have met. It’s also provided a degree of anonymity, allowing people to hide behind a keyboard and carry out bad-faith arguments.

A diversity of ideas is a great concept. We all come from different background, meaning we will all have unique ideas and experiences. We should celebrate these rather than demean.

Making gaming a more open and welcoming place is a good thing. It’s a great aspiration that we should all try to embrace.

Of course, this won’t change overnight and likely won’t ever change. That doesn’t mean we can’t do our part to disagree better.

What do you think? Have online conversations gotten out of hand? Have you found a community that is a lot more welcoming? Let us know in the comments below or head over to our Discord channel to join the conversation.

Featured Image: Glenn Carstens-Peters (via Unsplash)

Boss Rush Podcast – A Podcast about Video Games

The Boss Rush Podcast is the flagship show of Boss Rush Media and The Boss Rush Network. Each week, hosts Corey Dirrig, LeRon Dawkins, Stephanie Klimov, and Pat Klein, as well as their friends, fellow creators, developers, and industry veterans, share their gaming experiences. They discuss what they’ve been playing, explore rotating segments, debate the Boss Rush Banter topic of the week, answer community write-ins, and more. Patreon subscribers at any tier enjoy exclusive access to the Boss Rush Podcast Patreon Show twice a month along with other perks and extras.

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