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Comment by ROTMetro | Hacker News Reader

Video games are the modern 'circus' in 'bread and circuses' it provides an opiate for that masses to escape from confronting their current situation and gives the government an escape valve for young male angst. As to communication, have you seen Russianss on the Steam forums? It's all Zs, Russian flags, and ethnic slurs against Ukrainians.

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I'm sure you can spot the nationalists, of which there are many. But how do you differentiate them from the normal folk, who just use a non-descriptive nickname and just play the game? Zooming out a bit, in the group of "gamers" as in people who participate in gaming related discussions, you can find many toxic comments, sentiments and people, of which the ethnic slurs, Zs and everything doesn't even stand out.

I can see that, but it's a complex situation and I have counterpoints.

- Young male angst has no shortage of outlets. Sports, both extreme and normal, tons of existing media, pirated media, blowing stuff up, etc. Taking away Steam accounts likely isn't going to turn them into revolutionaries.

- In response the existing comments from Russians, that could be selection bias. Many of them could be commenting normally or not at all. After all, most of what you read on the internet is written by insane people.

- Part of the problem in Russia is extreme media bias/propaganda. Further isolating them from foreign contact and influences can only make that worse and reinforce the narrative that everyone else is out to get them.

So, the users of Steam and what they post on their public pages, is selection bias when judging the usefulness of communicating with... the users of Steam?

Yes, selection bias. Loud people are easy to spot. Lurkers are hard to spot. A loud minority, therefore, can create the illusion of a larger mass of similar folk. Take, for example, the gamergate situation. There was just SO much toxic communication, it was a complete shitstorm, where many were attacked online in a horrible manner. So, gamers sure are a toxic bunch, right? Well, turns out, there are 1.5 billion gamers on PC alone. I'm sure 95% percent of them never even heard about such a thing as gamergate.

https://gamerant.com/3-billion-gamers-report/

Also dont forget its not best idea to be publically against russia when you are living in it.

So what positive discussion comes of the people that aren't involved in discussions on Steam? None, it's still just a circus for Lurkers. If the reason to keep it open to Russia is communication, that is ONLY happening for those that are visible, not for the lurkers.

Communication is not just the forums, I literally meant everything offered by Steam as part of the communication. The selection of games, the content and presentation of the games, the fact that people play together and communicate in game, either explicitly by voice or text, or indirectly by gameplay. It's all a communication not just of words, concepts, but the ways of living, the ways of relating to the everydays and the world. And that's very useful in not leaving people alone in their bubble, it broadens their perspective, makes them more open to new ideas, tolerate more strange things. How do we know that this works? It's everything that an oppressive regime (and abusive people) works against. Their goal is to isolate, so that they can control the narrative, so that they can solidify their power. So, to weaken their hold over people, you need ways in. Culture, like movies, music, novels, internet content. And like Steam.

Keeping Russian teens in a sedentary lifestyle with video games is good for Ukraine. It weakens the Russian military. If anything, they should be giving free games to young Russians. Give them lots of pornography, liquor and drugs as well. These things weaken nations.

>they should be giving free games to young Russians. Give them lots of pornography, liquor and drugs as well. These things weaken nations.

Wow man cool it with the antisemitic remarks.

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