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A 1-month panel study of an immersive online video game investigated its social and civic impact. The data revealed mixed effects: Although the game led to an improved global outlook and some online community improvements, some kinds of existing friendships eroded and the most social players became more insular. Family interactions were unaffected. News media use was unaffected, but entertainment media were displaced. A decline in face-to-face interactions was detected and described as "cocooning." The results are discussed, along with their implications for theory and for the study of both video games and the Internet more broadly.
Dmitri Williams (Fri,) studied this question.