Power Play: The More You Know

Power is an abstract concept with varying definitions dependent on circumstance, positive or negative dualism, and area of discipline. A definition broad enough to over-arch the term entirely is a struggle to produce, but the depth of this week’s reading delivered alternative definitions of the concept in-depth.

As Allen (2003, p. 14) expresses, “People are

placed by power, but they experience it first-hand through the rhythms and relationships of particular places”. Allen’s definition creates a notion that power is created with a correlation to virtual or physical social interaction, which Harish (2014, p. 1) labels as some abstract form of power projection, or “social reach”.

Image 1: Networking (Byerly, 2014)

As the technological world develops further, fashionable social interaction ebbs and flows to new and exciting virtual media. The social network I have chosen to examine is Steam. Steam offers a social media outlet for people interested in computer games, enabling the creation of social ties with like-minded and game-enthused people. As people purchase and collect games in their virtual library, more doors are opened to more communities of gamers. This enables the user to become a social “hub”, a term as discussed by Kuttainen (2017), enabling these communities to interact in similar fashion to the “six degrees of separation” theory.  Although the gaming worlds are not interrelated, these hubs allow social networks to go beyond the limitations of the virtual worlds themselves, and exist as bridges in between. The power of a user as a hub seems to have a positive correlation alongside the number of games owned, genres of games played and virtual acquaintances.

Within the last two decades, the development of 'MMORPGs' (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) have introduced a larger platform for social interaction. A study conducted by Cole and Griffiths (2007) found that well over two-thirds of the MMORPG user participants found social interactions to be of positive influence (Cole & Griffiths, 2007, p. 579). With the possibility of millions of users interacting with one another simultaneously, those well-respected and recognised members can harness power rivaling and surpassing legendary status.  Many of these MMORPG-style games house 'guilds', which are formed as a miniature, secretive societies within the virtual world. The guilds are formed by a guild leader, and tend to follow an enforced hierarchy, with attempts to achieve a common goal. Through guilds as a medium, players may find themselves empowered by lower-caste guild members.

In conclusion, this week's readings and lecture have left me with fresh outlook on the link between social interaction and power. From the perspective through a new rose-tinted lens, vastly different definitions and understandings of power, social reach, and social interaction have expanded the possibilities with regards to my understanding of power. In a society with power sought after from the puppeteers above, anonymous gamers are empowering one another in a virtual sense.

Is power still what I once thought it was? Perhaps more unseen perspectives lie in wait within the next few weeks of social network observations.  

Until next week,

 ~R. Laverty

References

Allen, J. (2003). Lost geographies of power. Malden, MA: Blackwell.

Byerly, J. (2014). Social   networking [image]. Retrieved from https://fromthegreennotebook.files.wordpress.com/   2014/04/social-networking-business.png

Cole, H., & Griffiths, M. (2007). Social interactions in massively multiplayer online role-playing gamers. CyberPsychology & Behaviour, 10(4), 575-583. doi: 10.1089/cpb.2007.9988

Harish, J. (2014). Society and social power. Cadmus, 2(3), 37-49. Retrieved from http://www.cadmusjournal.org/files/pdfreprints/vol2issue3/reprint-cj-v2-i3-society-social-power-jharish.pdf

Jones, C. M., Scholes, L., Johnson, D., Katsikitis, M. & Carras, M. C. (2014). Gaming well: Links between videogames and flourishing mental health. Frontiers in Psychology, 5(260), 1-8. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2014.00260

Kuttainen, V. (2017). BA1002: Networks, narratives and the making of place, week 2 notes [PowerPoint slides]. College of Arts, James Cook University, Townsville, Australia.