For many, many years the console wars have been raging on between platform owners. It is an epitome of first world problems, where adults bicker and argue like schoolyard children. It seems people who participate really have nothing else better to do than to act out towards others and try their best to make sure that other person dislikes what they own. The biggest question, is why does this even exist in the first place? Well, unfortunately it’s only human nature. Being competitive will never leave us, and most of the time we don’t realize how toxic we are being with this type of behavior until it’s already said.
Aside from many people being the toxic idiots that they are, there are also the ones that just jokingly have fun. It’s ok to poke fun once in awhile, as long as it’s not taken over the top and portrayed in a civil manner. In the early 90’s it was always about Nintendo vs. Sega. Out on the playground you would argue about which game was better on that platform. In the end though it would always resolve in a friendly fashion. Today with the anonymity of the internet, keyboard warriors don’t hold back on acting like the schoolyard bully. The one person everyone detests and despises who loves being on that “High Horse” mentality. Trust me, no one respects or admires anyone who acts like that and are heavily looked down upon.
There’s really no reason for it, nor will we ever escape from it. There will always be the toxics that are ever so rampant today, pushing the console war agenda for their own ego boosting benefit. We can truly only blame the competitive human nature, and their Troglodyte mentality.
Competitive Nature
Humans have always been competitive. It’s what strives us to be better than the other, basically “Survival of the Fittest”. One person competes to be better than the other, eliminating the weakest for the strongest line to survive into the future. This was heavily relevant during the Neanderthalic Age, where a Troglodyte view was relevant. Fast forward to the modern age.. and it seems that type of view is still be carried today. We only have Competitive Human Nature to blame for it though. When handled correctly, it can be great for someones self esteem, as long as it is not forced upon others in a toxic or harmful way. In this article from Psychology Today, you can get a much better understanding of why it really exists. In some ways, it can actually be good for us.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/compassion-matters/201309/the-benefits-feeling-competitive
If you feel you may fall in that “toxic Gamer” category it might actually help you control it a little bit better than before. Being able to understand yourself, and how you “tick” is extremely important. People take it for granted i feel, not allowing themselves to realize their full potential as well as allowing themselves to cater to a fault they didn’t know was really controlling them. It’s the same thing as anxiety and depression, you don’t really know how much they control you until you identify it and recognize it. Dealing/coping with certain aspects of anything cannot be easy and requires a lot of perseverance, but it can be defeated!
Toxicity
Definition of toxic (Merriam Webster)
1 : containing or being poisonous material especially when capable of causing death or serious debilitation
- toxic waste
- a toxic radioactive gas
- an insecticide highly toxic to birds
2 : exhibiting symptoms of infection or toxicosis
- the patient became toxic two days later
3 : extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful
- toxic sarcasm
4 : relating to or being an asset that has lost so much value that it cannot be sold on the market
Gaming Toxicity or Toxicity in general, is the prime example of #3. Being extremely harsh, malicious, or harmful (ie. toxic sarcasm). There are plenty of people who embrace this as apart of who their online persona is. Why? No one really knows, but we can all easily assume that it is to boost their own self-ego and that they have no self esteem in the first place. These types of people are probably not very well respected in reality, and push their insecurities on others to help themselves feel better about their own bad situation. This is called Psychological Projection, or Narcissist/Negative projection. This article from Psychology Today can help you understand why this happens, and how to deal with it. https://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/maybe-its-just-me/201012/dont-project-your-feelings-inadequacy-others
Here is another one from Lifescript.com: http://www.lifescript.com/well-being/articles/p/psychological_projection_dealing_with_undesirable_emotions.aspx
Conclusion
If you encounter these types of people on any type of social media site, the best way to deal with them without enabling them to continue their childish rants is to simply block and move on. Do it before they even get started, or they will see it as a “win” for self-gratification. Reality is, it’s not a win but a major loss. They will end up being socially interactive within their own negative little circle, and you will enjoy your positive circle. You are the only person that matters, and your happiness should always be your priority. What other people say does not matter what-so-ever, and should never be taken seriously. Just remember, Positive energy breeds positive and negative breeds negative.
The console wars are nothing but in-secure people looking to be validated by others. It’s a subject that should not have ever been taken to this extreme, but unfortunately it has been. Don’t let it ever influence your decision, because your happiness is the #1 priority. Gaming has advanced in leaps and bounds in technology and entertainment, setting new bars every year in graphical ingenuity and game play experiences. Be thankful that we have this type of technology for gaming in the first place, brand competition between companies breeds better gaming. Competition between the fans though, when taken to extreme levels only breeds this type of childish behavior. Do yourself a solid favor, and be joyful and grateful for what you have, because as long as you enjoy what you game on that’s all that will ever matter.
