[P] I have a prevailing hyppthesis about this. I've seen studies that show that video games can train the sociopathy room. I mean, if your heroes are white humans and everything else isn't that? In the sociopathy room they go. For those who're unaware, neurotypicals have a partitioned-off section of their mind where tarfwts can be placed, this room has no empathy and functions 1:1 identically to ASPD in all conceivable ways.

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[P] For example: I can't be a white human who makes animals whine and limp like in Monster Hunter; or a white human who butchers a dragon mother's children when the mother begs me not to, like in Guild Wars 2. That shit messes me up. I've been traumatised by video games, because guess what autistic wreckage pile has no sociopathy room? It's me. It's also a non-trivial number of neurodivergents, too. As an outsider, I notice things.

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[P] So, for a person with no sociopathy room? "It's only a game!" is an argument that leaves me cold, since it'e an argument that relies on having a sociopathy room in one'e mind. Consider: If a person has no sociopathy room, how can they relate to a monstrously cruel and greedy "hero" who obviously has a sociopathy room? I can't. This is why video games can be really on me, especially those with modern fidelity and immersion.

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[P] So, playing as a "hero" who has a sociopathy room takes me right out of the experience, I can find modern games an impenetrable edifice for that reason. I know from playing them that older computer games had much more variety, and often real heroes who possessed unimpeded empathy as I do. But now? The sociopathy room has been enshrined as a pillar of gaming. And I feel excluded, but why is this relevant to the topic at hand?

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[P] The way neurotypicals behave online? They subconsciously treat people as NPCs from a game. If one can't see their face, it's easy for the neurotypical brain to subconsiously categorise them as an orc or some other kind of bio-essentialist categorised monster. And into the sociopathy room that target goes! If any person has a grievance not shared by the tribe? Digital orc. Sociopathy room. And that's that. It's a trained behavior.

#psychology #actuallyautistic #neurotypicals #gamedev

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[P] What I've noticed? The modern game has NO consequences for the player and their "hero" having a aociopathy room. In fact, modern games blow so much smoke up the player's arse, they're so worshipful of the neurotypical player, that pathological processes are deified. "You don't like orcs, dark elves, beholders, dragons, or what have you? Oh! Don't worry! They're ALL criminals! Kill them all! No consequences!" It's very pro-sociopathy.

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[P] It's so common for the modern game to teach players that the sociopathy room is good, by casting all dissimilarity as "evil" criminals. Tell me, what do you think that neurotypical brains do with this? "All the black/brown people I dislike are evil criminals!" It reaffirme and bolsters the sociopathy room. "No. I'm definitely right to call them that. I'm going to go play games that reaffirm it." Because games do just that.

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[P] And games are a unique medium where one can take part very viscerally in this punishment of those who supposedly belong in the sociopathy room. In an HSP-dominant world, games would challenge the sociopathy room and pose consequences. But we don't live in that reality. And a lot of how neurotypical people see those with a non-homongenised opinion online is how they see "monsters" in games. Because why wouldn't they?

#psychology #actuallyautistic #neurotypicals #gamedev

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[P] I've seen studies looking for exactly this process which have found it. By having bioessentialist categorisations in games for the "good guys" and the "bad guys," devs are taking the sociopathy room problem and making it worse by training acceptance, by providing consequence-free rewards for placing dissimilar targets in the sociopathy room. That's a lot of pro-sociopathy room dopamine training, which shouldn't be desirable.

#psychology #actuallyautistic #neurotypicals #gamedev

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[P] I mean, looking at the world as it is? We should be trying to do all we can to disincentivise the sociopathy room, and to incentivise HSP-like behaviors instead. In a better world, we would, but this isn't that better world. The vast majority here couldn't give a shit, but my mind won't rest unless I at least talk about this. I'm haunted by how nightmarish rewarding the sociopathy room is. It makes monsters out of people.

#psychology #actuallyautistic #neurotypicals #gamedev

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