For all that it’s sponsored by Blizzard – and that I’ve not played WoW, like, ever, this video is horribly relatable:
It’s for one simple reason – I’ve experienced it myself on MyMinecraft. Even if the stuff you do on these online games is pixelated or on rails or… well, seems silly to those who aren’t part of it, you actually end up interacting with people. You end up forming friendships (or more) online in games, on forums, and on social media.
It’s easy to dismiss these interactions as being “less important” than IRL/meatspace ones, but I’d argue that the opposite is true. They’re different – that is absolutely true – and an online connection doesn’t always translate into one IRL (especially when it’s romantic), but they’re still connections.
And since “you” are really nothing more than your interactions (with your “self” or with “others”), that means these interactions are not a trivial footnote, but a very real part of your “self”.