Why is the North American community so much worse than the Japanese one?

[Lium]

This is something that pervades pretty much all online gaming communities, not just FFXIV. The American community is just, for lack of a better word, a cesspool.

In other games like WoW, you could chalk it up to the population. But in Asian MMOs where there are far more people playing the game in the East than in the West, our communities still manage to be absolutely atrocious.

And here's the thing. FFXIV's community is actually one of the better ones out there. Even then, the Novice channel still has its fair share of racial epithets and trolling. I just ignore it, but it got me wondering.

What is it about the NA community that makes it so much worse than the Japanese community? From what I understand, the EU community is not as bad as the NA one either.

We seem to have a monopoly on terrible. Why is this? Is it just our culture?

[Amelia_Pond_Behemoth]

Right because people weren't using slurs online before he was elected.

[ElazulHP]

Right because people weren't using slurs online before he was elected.

Not as many people were as open with their racism. Its a lot more prevalent now in America since he took office because people see what he has done and gotten away with so they think they can get away with it as well. It's a lot worse now.

[Malzian]

For the JP community: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hdZK22pR5nU

Now, why is NA worse than EU? Simple reason: Freedom of Speech. In the US you are told that you are free to speak your mind, that your opinion is valid no matter how bad it or your attitude may be. We're a very "accept me as I am or go away" oriented country which ultimately allows people to be abusive in how they interact with others. In the EU, you're allowed to have your own opinion, but the social norm is that you generally keep that opinion to yourself unless specifically asked about it, leading to a lot of people biting their tongue more often than slinging abusive comments about your mother... So yes, it's cultural.

[Bernkastelx]

NA worse than EU

Don't get me wrong na is toxic but if you have ever played overwatch or league of legends on eu you will realize they are way more toxic. Mainly due to their many different cultures colliding into one to two servers yeah no EU was always throwing way more racial slurs and extreme insults than na.

[Malzian]

Don't get me wrong na is toxic but if you have ever played overwatch or league of legends on eu you will realize they are way more toxic. Mainly due to their many different cultures colliding into one to two servers yeah no EU was always throwing way more racial slurs and extreme insults than na.

Every game is different, but the statement here was focused on XIV and MMOs in particular. League is different since it's purely competitive.

[Rinuko]

For the JP community: https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=hdZK22pR5nU

Now, why is NA worse than EU? Simple reason: Freedom of Speech. In the US you are told that you are free to speak your mind, that your opinion is valid no matter how bad it or your attitude may be. We're a very "accept me as I am or go away" oriented country which ultimately allows people to be abusive in how they interact with others. In the EU, you're allowed to have your own opinion, but the social norm is that you generally keep that opinion to yourself unless specifically asked about it, leading to a lot of people biting their tongue more often than slinging abusive comments about your mother... So yes, it's cultural.

Don't forget (at least coming off to me) that NA are more entitled than JP and EU. From personal experience.

[Penthea]

Now, why is NA worse than EU? Simple reason: Freedom of Speech. In the US you are told that you are free to speak your mind, that your opinion is valid no matter how bad it or your attitude may be. We're a very "accept me as I am or go away" oriented country which ultimately allows people to be abusive in how they interact with others. In the EU, you're allowed to have your own opinion, but the social norm is that you generally keep that opinion to yourself unless specifically asked about it, leading to a lot of people biting their tongue more often than slinging abusive comments about your mother... So yes, it's cultural.

Actually it's more along the lines of if you don't have something nice to say then say nothing, not keep your opinions to yourself. But Europe has a vast amount of countries and cultures so this isn't even true for all of them.

I am inclined to think EU players are more tolerant than NA players because we're used to encountering very different people all the time. Yes americans can differ a lot from one another, but they always share a native tongue. Language shapes how people think and express themselves, as does frequently encountering people who don't have the same native language.

[Tridus]

NN is used as a glorified mentor chat channel, and nobody can police it but mentors... which doesn't work so well. I've seen people literally tell novices to leave NN if they don't want mentors screwing around like idiots spamming up their chat log.

I'm pretty sure it's not all sunshine and roses in Japan either, but Japan does have a stronger cultural respect for authority than NA does.

[ThirdChild_ZKI]

Add in a little bit of Internet Anonymity and "What You Are In The Dark" and people can surprise you sometimes.

As it stands, I carry myself to what I feel is a reasonable standard. Perhaps higher than some, or lower than others, but I operate on pretty simple principles: treat people how you want to be treated, teach but be willing to let failure teach more effectively instead, be the change you want to see, etc. . . just simple, reasonable stuff. The rest gets a little too specific.

The point about "accept me as I am or go away" is a bit valid though. Thing is, the wrong people use that as justification to not seek self-improvement, and I have a major issue with that. None of us are perfect, of course, but that doesn't mean the world has to take what you dish. I'm not so rosy as to say I never fight fire with fire, but I'm far more affable and diplomatic at first before anything else.