I really do wonder if playing a game like Dungeons and Dragons with complete strangers could reduce loneliness. It’s obvious that playing it with friends could. It’s also obvious that other types of social interaction could.
But what about the specific interaction of playing a roleplaying game with total strangers? It’s a different kind of interaction than other social interactions.
It might even make somebody more lonely. Imagine the misfortune of trying Dungeons and Dragons to get less lonely and you join a hostile group that is antagonistic to you because they feel you are new to the game and don’t understand it as well as they do.
That could be a bad experience that would increase loneliness
But what about the specific interaction of playing a roleplaying game with total strangers? It’s a different kind of interaction than other social interactions.
It might even make somebody more lonely. Imagine the misfortune of trying Dungeons and Dragons to get less lonely and you join a hostile group that is antagonistic to you because they feel you are new to the game and don’t understand it as well as they do.
That could be a bad experience that would increase loneliness