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The mistake is to take the users' comments at face value, IMHO. They are not that upset about a game; something else in their lives is painful for them and they

The mistake is to take the users' comments at face value, IMHO. They are not that upset about a game; something else in their lives is painful for them and they are taking it out on you. They are unable to deal with their emotions otherwise. That perspective can help in a couple of ways: First, you know it has nothing to do with you or your game; you are just an object, a mental construction, at which they unload their anger; they might as well be talking to the pin-up poster on their wall (or to the pixels which form an enemy on their screen). Second, if you realize these are troubled people who feel powerless; if you have some empathy for them; they lose their power over how you feel. Here's a recent story about the comedian Sarah Silverman taking that approach and going a step further, with amazing results: http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/sarah-silverman-s-response-to-a-twitter-troll-is-a-master-class-in-compassion-1.4471337 http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/blog/sarah-silverman-s-response-to... Also, it may be important to ask why so many young males (if that's the demographic) have such emotional problems, why so many can't process their emotions effectively and feel so vulnerable. I think we sort of take it for granted that young males (and to a degree, all males) can't process emotions and act out, but I think that's a mistake.

Terr_ 9y ago
I also wouldn't be surprised if there's a default positive correlation between angry or confrontational gamers (writing abuse or not) and games designed around having "stab your enemy in the face" as part of their marketing and gameplay loop. That said, the article contains some other examples (like Terraria) which don't fit that mold.
percival_krusen 9y ago
My personal guess is that adolescent male humans have basically evolved to fight for survival and mating opportunities in violent Stone Age tribal societies. And the prefrontal cortex - that part of the brain that enables rational thought - doesn't finish developing until ten or more years after the onset of puberty. Convincing them to act rationally, and not emotionally, in a nonviolent, conflict-averse, gender-equitable society is working against the grain. It clearly must be done. A just civilization depends on it. But I expect doing so will be difficult and involve unpleasant tradeoffs; I don't expect it to be easy or simple. I think that women and some men may make the typical mind fallacy about young men that are irrational, emotional assholes. I don't think such young men have been insufficiently exposed to basic morals and etiquette. I think puberty hits people differently and that it hits many young men very hard in a particular way. Nature says "alright, time to start dominating others to ascend the Hobbesian tribal hierarchy" in a big way. Imagine being a male member of a violent ape species drugged into a stupor with aggression-inducing hormones while the small part of your brain capable of rational thought is still in diapers. That's my image of male adolescence. Of course I'm speaking from personal bias here. I'm socially well adjusted now in my 30s. I pay my taxes. I recycle. I'm nice to people. And I'm an intelligent person. But I was a horrible teen; I terrorized my family, nearly destroyed my own life, and had to be sent to a therapeutic boarding school at 15. I was an idiot back then.

Terr_ 9y ago

I also wouldn't be surprised if there's a default positive correlation between angry or confrontational gamers (writing abuse or not) and games designed around having "stab your enemy in the face" as part of their marketing and gameplay loop. That said, the article contains some other examples (like Terraria) which don't fit that mold.

percival_krusen 9y ago

My personal guess is that adolescent male humans have basically evolved to fight for survival and mating opportunities in violent Stone Age tribal societies. And the prefrontal cortex - that part of the brain that enables rational thought - doesn't finish developing until ten or more years after the onset of puberty. Convincing them to act rationally, and not emotionally, in a nonviolent, conflict-averse, gender-equitable society is working against the grain. It clearly must be done. A just civilization depends on it. But I expect doing so will be difficult and involve unpleasant tradeoffs; I don't expect it to be easy or simple. I think that women and some men may make the typical mind fallacy about young men that are irrational, emotional assholes. I don't think such young men have been insufficiently exposed to basic morals and etiquette. I think puberty hits people differently and that it hits many young men very hard in a particular way. Nature says "alright, time to start dominating others to ascend the Hobbesian tribal hierarchy" in a big way. Imagine being a male member of a violent ape species drugged into a stupor with aggression-inducing hormones while the small part of your brain capable of rational thought is still in diapers. That's my image of male adolescence. Of course I'm speaking from personal bias here. I'm socially well adjusted now in my 30s. I pay my taxes. I recycle. I'm nice to people. And I'm an intelligent person. But I was a horrible teen; I terrorized my family, nearly destroyed my own life, and had to be sent to a therapeutic boarding school at 15. I was an idiot back then.