Role models for Xbox live

[rancher of monsters]

Okay, so here's the scenario. I was playing firefight with a couple of people a little while after Halo: Reach came out. For some reason a kid, probably no older than twelve decides to drop the N-word. I don't remember exactly what I said to him, but I didn't swear, I didn't yell, and I basically told him I didn't want to hear that. Instead of becoming a full blown troll he politley said sorry, and was completley cool for the rest of the game.

I basically put it out of my head until today when it got me thinking why this kid would say ****** in the first place. His apology sounded sincere when he realized he had offended me (I don't know if he thought I was black, but I have sort of a deep voice which may have made him think so) which makes me think that his default behavior would be somewhat respectful. Afterall, as far as Halo goes there was no way for me to actually punish him except possibly betraying him a couple of times until I'm booted.

So why did he default to a disrespectful attitude? My personal opinion was the role models he experienced playing Xbox live, people of enormous dickitude. He was probably used to people being dicks, and having to act like a dick in return thus he entered the game in complete dick-mode until it was proven to be uneeded. So what do you think? Am I right, wrong? What effect do players have on other players as they enter the medium, and what can we do to make this effect a bit nicer?

 

[PhiMed]

Deep voices are a trait of black people?

RACIST! (kidding)

I think the anonymity of the internet peels back the ego and superego to reveal bare id.

Once people are reminded, politely, that society still exists they usually end up being decent people. I think this tendency is more likely to come out in the young, because they haven't completed their development.

When it comes out in adults, it's probably because they're regressed or they're dicks to begin with.

 

[vxicepickxv]

I think it's more the community than the internet as a whole. When you're playing co-op, even when you fail, you don't really have that kind of problem. Or, maybe I'm just lucky with Fable 3.

 

[RatRace123]

Wow, I actually would be too annoyed to handle the situation like you did, I'd probably just mute him, or try to get him kicked.

But, I think I agree with you, ignoring the situation with the swearing kids on Xbox Live doesn't teach them a lesson, they just keep on cussing and if they get booted, they get angrier and in turn, they cuss some more.

I think more people should step up, and I don't think we should accept language like that from anyone, adults or children.
Cooler heads prevail and we should tell these degenerates to act like freaking human beings, not the mouthbreathing socially reprehensible assholes they become behind that headset.
And not just because it's unpleasant for other players, but because it gives all gamers a bad image, an image we deseperately need to improve.

Good on you man, good on you.

 

[Kortney]

Most the dicks you see on Xbox Live are probably decent people. It's just that anonymity and competitiveness that does strange things to them.

 

[Et3rnalLegend64]

I've met a good number of idiots on Live, mostly of the "send angry letter" variety. I don't bother responding to them.

The ones who are idiots over the mic are muted as soon as I deem them hopeless to reason with. Better than my brother I think. He resorts to shouting at them. I don't think I've met one that listens to reason yet. I just deem them immature pricks like many others do and leave it at that. This isn't to say that I think all or even most of XBL consists of immature pricks, but I don't think there's much to most of the idiots, even outside of Live.

 

[Hashime]

I always find it funny when new TF2 players come online after playing on LIVE most of their gaming lives. They very quickly smarten up.