While this is something that has died out in recent years I still see it flying around the Internet in certain places. What I'm of course referring to is that horrible stereotype of an overweight, neckbearded layabout with no friends and no future sitting around and playing video games all day.
I think it's safe to say that most people reading this blog know that isn't the case and I also think that most people are aware it has never been the case. I think part of the reason that the stereotype has almost died off over the years is because of gaming systems utilizing online play or, with companies like Nintendo, emphasizing the social experience.
However even before the tech and the rise in popularity of the medium gaming was NEVER like the aforementioned stereotype. I think almost everyone who has been gaming for a long time has some kind of memory that involves huddling around a split screen for hours and hours with friends or staying up stupid late to play a new release they were excited about.
In my teenage years I was extremely anti social for a number of reasons but gaming didn't keep me locked in the house and away from people, it did the exact opposite. While I hated almost everyone with a pulse at my school it was the small group of gamers that I ended up hanging around with and to top it all off I'm still in contact with them today, which cannot be said for people I met through other means.
Despite all this though, the image of the basement dwelling nerd persists even today. Usually these comments are made by idiots who don't game or gaming journalists who are being disagreed with on sites like Twitter.
Gaming is probably one of the MOST social past times you can engage in, not the least and it's always been that way. So if you do see anyone on social media making comments like that, please know that you would have good reason to laugh at them and shun them.
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