Introduction to Gaming Communities: The Good, The Bad and Twitch

For my research project, I decided to look at gaming communities: the social benefits, the reach of new media, the political power and the problems within it. This was an important project, particularly during this year of physical isolation, because I think there is a generational divide in the understanding of what exactly happens in gaming communities online and what good can come of them. This connects to the larger course because being a part of a media-based community, is one of the most obvious--- and most increasingly common--- intersections of media and self, as well as the fact that gaming communities become microcosms of societal issues, condensing them and intensifying them. For best understanding, I recommend reading these blog entries from "Online Gaming Communities As Social Outlets," to "Twitch, YouTube, and the Gaming Community," and then finishing with "Twitch Gaming Communities: Toxicity and Political Power."