This blog is going to be centered around how social media has affected its massive explosion in user sine-ups and people buying Minecraft. First a little video to get you acquainted with Minecraft:
As you can see its nothing amazing, just simplistic blocks with no real goal. What Minecraft does do is stimulate the users creativity and gives the user control on its surrounding. This form of open world entertainment stimulates the user to want to share and explore there creations in the world they cannot, but they are so proud they seek affirmation from peers.
The hypothesis is that the average Minecraft user must go outside there world and share their connection with a disconnected world. Minecraft users seem to amass at Reddit.com/r/minecraft, notch's blog (the soul creator of mine craft), or even on youtube.com where people by the masses are posting pics and videos of their creations. For example, the subreddit for Minecraft has exploded, going from only about 100 people to over 7000 in only 2 weeks, along with the rest of the internet curiosity with this little game developed by one man. This game has stimulated people to join together around a common interest and thus is a social media.
The reason why people should watch this expanse and growth in this area of social media is that it is massive and unprovoked. Seemingly overnight one man has become a millionaire based on a simple game he had the passion to make. How can this be harnessed in the future? Who will be the next Notch? What makes people who play this single player game so rampant about sharing it with their friends and convince them to buy it as well. I believe its a combination of freedom that isn't found in real life and the stimulation of creativity where the modern blue collar person doesn't have the medium to express. When a person creates they often feel a need to share there creation and this is what drives them to show off their 'art' to there friends and a since of accomplishment comes with this affirmation from there piers. Their for they strive for a large audience ie the internet as further affirmation.
Humans are social creatures and thus must socialize that is why a Minecraft has evolved in to a new social media.
Thanks,
Isaac
Some interesting comments. I would love to hear a comparison of how it does or does not satisfy the same needs that facebook addresses. Watch your spelling.
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