Utah

How Utah gamers find social connections, over the internet or across a table

Published

11 months ago

April 6, 2025

How Utah gamers find social connections, over the internet or across a table

This story is jointly published as part of the Utah College Media Collaborative, a cross-campus project bringing together emerging journalists from Salt Lake Community College, Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, Utah Tech University and Weber State University. The collaborative is a project of the nonprofit Amplify Utah, with support from PBS Utah and POV.

As a closeted high schooler growing up in rural Utah, Colton Bell said he found seeking connection online and embracing his love for gaming were the only ways he could find a sense of belonging while growing up in a community that wouldn’t accept him.

“I had online friendships from the jump because growing up as a gay kid in a small town in Utah was very difficult,” said Bell, a Weber State University alumnus and self-described gamer. “At the end of the day, I couldn’t share, even with my closest friends in high school, that information about myself.”

Bell explained how gaming allowed him to connect with other members of the LGBTQ+ community, bringing him a sense of belonging.

“Having online friends that were just online friends, that I’d potentially never meet, meant that all of a sudden I could be my authentic self with someone in a way I couldn’t be in person,” Bell said. “The difference that made permanently altered my life and permanently alters the lives of other people every day, because it helps you grow more comfortable in your skin.”

Pulling from his own experiences, Bell lamented that finding a sense of belonging can prove to be challenging. For the gamers interviewed for this article, video games and online communities offer a sense of reprieve.

“I think that people who are anti-gaming don’t understand that people have found connections with people they would’ve never met otherwise and met people who have positively changed their lives or shown them new things,” Bell said.

In 2014, Bell made Weber State history as the first pledge to a brand-new fraternity, Psi Phi Psi. According to Zachary Kirst, Psi Phi Psi’s current president, video games and popular media have historically served as a common ground for the fraternity’s brethren.

Kirst said he frequents Discord servers centered around the video game Dark Deception in his free time, and he has found the social dynamics in online communities mirror those of the fraternity he leads.

“The media itself is the foundation for how people get to know each other,” Kirst said. “But that grows into something bigger over time as people keep talking with each other over and over again.”

Kirst said he values forming social bonds in person, but he also is grateful for the connections that he’s been able to cultivate online with people from around the world.

“I still find a lot of value in my online relationships because it doesn’t matter that they are behind a screen,” Kirst said. “They are still human beings that want to connect with you.”

However, both Kirst and Bell agreed that there is risk involved when young people strictly engage in social activities through an online medium.

“Some people who are 100% into thinking that’s the only way to communicate often fall into a hole of not being able to socialize outside those groups,” Bell said. “People can really get stuck sometimes.”

Can gaming pose a risk to mental health?

As gaming grows in popularity among young people, studies have investigated the tie between excessive time playing video games and mental health issues, such as depression, anxiety and stress.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has identified gaming as a potential candidate for addiction.

The DSM’s 2022 edition states that Internet Gaming Disorder is potentially an applicable diagnosis when a person’s gaming habits cause “significant impairment or distress” in other areas of their life. Proposed symptoms revolve around a person’s dependence on video games or inability to stop gaming when it threatens their daily responsibilities.

Aminda O’Hare, an assistant professor of psychology and neuroscience at Weber State, explained that video games can be particularly addictive because they create a reward system where the participant doesn’t know when the next rush will come, so they have to keep playing.

“What video games play into is a reinforcement schedule, where you’re anticipating a reward, but you don’t know exactly when it’s going to happen,” O’Hare said. “We’ve learned from animal models that when that’s the reward schedule, it leads to the most repetitive behaviors.”

O’Hare also acknowledged that gaming can be a potential solution to another health issue: loneliness.

O’Hare cited findings from the Harvard Study of Adult Development, a longitudinal study that has tracked the habits of more than 700 participants and their descendants since 1938 to determine what factors lead to a long, happy life. According to the study, one of the best predictors of a long life is the quality of a person’s relationships.

“If some individuals struggle with in-person relationships or they’re just in an environment where the people around them aren’t providing the support they need, then an online social group can certainly fill that void for people,” O’Hare said.

Internet Gaming Disorder needs further study, and research has yet to pin down its exact prevalence among gamers. What current research has found is a link between gaming and social interaction, though it’s not clear whether it is negative, positive or both.

For some, like feminist media critic and content creator Anita Sarkeesian, interactions with online gaming communities have yielded threats of violence and displays of hatred.

After heading an initiative in 2012 that sought to investigate the use of harmful female stereotypes in video games, Sarkeesian was met with an unrelenting campaign of hatred and misogyny.

Sarkeesian, the author of the online video series “Feminist Frequency,” canceled a talk at Utah State University in 2014 after university staff received an email containing credible threats of violence against her and those attending the event.

On the other hand, Weber State’s campus recreation department has begun using video games to encourage positive social interaction. Starting last fall, the university has hosted a student “Mario Kart” tournament as part of the school’s intramural sports program.

Competitive Sports Coordinator Lexi Morrissey said she wants to get students from all walks of life involved with campus recreation.

“Involvement in any organization on campus increases people’s willingness to stick around. It strengthens their sense of community,” Morrissey said. “I want people to feel welcome within campus intramural sports, even if they don’t play something you would consider a traditional sport.”

Morrissey said she plans to continue using video games when organizing intramural sports events at Weber State.

“If someone shows up to one of my events and makes a friend, that’s a success,” Morrissey said.

So, when does gaming become a threat to a young person’s mental health? Some studies have tried to find a link between the time spent gaming among adolescents and worse mental health outcomes.

A 2022 study conducted in China surveyed 1,603 primary and secondary school students and found that the children spent an average of 41.4 minutes a week gaming. The study said that each additional hour spent playing video games increased the risk of anxiety, depression or stress with moderate or worse symptoms.

However, another study in 2022 surveyed 38,935 gamers globally and concluded that more time spent playing video games was unlikely to lead to negative well-being.

Trading cards and community

The intersection between gaming and social interaction can be seen in the world of trading card games, where players gather to compete, mingle and get better at their games of choice.

Connor Albury, a Weber State alum, helps organize a local trading card game tournament at Hill Top TCG in Riverdale. The game played in this tournament is Lorcana, which features fast gameplay and cards themed with Disney artwork depicting fan-favorite characters.

Albury said the community has always welcomed newcomers. “Pop into any local league and there’s almost always going to be people there willing to help you learn and develop,” Albury said.

Albury, who said he started playing Lorcana competitively shortly after its inception in 2023, said one of his favorite aspects of the game is the volume of new players.

Stephen Salmon, an instructor of public speaking and communication law at Weber State, can also be found on Wednesday nights playing Lorcana in Hill Top TCG’s local league.

“This group, and a lot of the groups we play with, are a close-knit community,” said Salmon. “We’ve become friends.”

A Pew Research study in 2024 found that 72% of teens who played video games did so to spend time with others, while 47% said they’ve made friends online through playing video games.

Albury and Salmon agree that they use their time gaming as a temporary escape from reality, and to relieve the stress of everyday life. Playing these games in a social setting has made the experience more enjoyable for them and has created unique opportunities — like the chance to compete in national and international tournaments.

Gamers like Albury and Salmon who choose to embrace the hobby in a positive and healthy way see gaming as a tool to fortify their mental wellness rather than something that stands to ruin it.

“Are there people who go too far? Absolutely,” Salmon said. “But at the end of the day, it’s important to find something you like doing and to be healthy about it. Everything in moderation.”

As an educator, Salmon said red flags that a student is experiencing possible mental health issues related to gaming include repeatedly being absent from class and not turning in assignments.

“It’s really hard to tell they’re experiencing problems unless you’re in their personal life,” Salmon said. “If they’re consistently not leaving their room, not showering for days, or not eating, as family members or friends, that’s where we should be stepping up.”

Opportunities and staying involved

Bell was able to work for Activision Blizzard — the company behind “World of Warcraft” and “Call of Duty” — while he attended Weber State, managing the company’s outreach efforts to college campuses. He also helped found Weber State’s esports club, which has evolved into an intramural sports team.

“Gaming started as this little hobby that I had barely any access to,” Bell said. “But, it then allowed me to work for one of the biggest video game companies in the world.”

Through gaming, Kirst said he found community among the Psi Phi Psi’s brethren and an opportunity to try his hand at voice acting in Dark Deception fan projects.

“I thought it would be funny if I gave it a try, but I actually ended up doing well and thriving off that experience,” Kirst said. “Although I don’t know if I’m going to continue voice acting heavily, I feel like I’ve gained a new interest and unlocked a new part of myself.”

By involving himself in the Lorcana competitive scene, Albury said he has been able to travel across the country to attend Disney Lorcana Challenges — regional tournaments where 2,000 players compete for the chance to play at the game’s national championships.

Albury, who has placed as high as the top 128 and top 300 in 2,000-player competitions, said being involved on Discord servers adjacent to the game led to him being scouted for a regional team.

“Lorcana has only changed my life for the better. I can’t count on my hands and my toes how many new friends I’ve been able to make because of Lorcana,” Albury said, adding that he’s been featured alongside content creators on their podcasts and has even met the game’s creators during a tournament.

Those interviewed agree that gaming not only helps people form relationships and create communities, but also presents new opportunities.

Non-gamers may not see it that way when they see a loved one spend hours a day gaming. Kirst and Bell agreed that the best strategy for checking in on loved ones who are gamers is to simply ask questions and stay involved in their lives.

“The biggest step we can take is to just talk to people about why they spend so much time playing video games,” Kirst said, adding that people may react to others spending a lot of time playing video games and fear the worst.

“One kid playing six hours of video games might be a bad thing,” Bell said. “It might be hurting them for any number of reasons — but, for another kid, those six hours might be really important.”

Bell said a former coworker at Activision Blizzard worried about her two young sons who were constantly confining themselves to their attic to play “StarCraft II” during odd hours of the night. The coworker initially believed those gaming habits would hurt them in the long run.

The sons, Bell said, pleaded with their mother to let them show her that their hobby wasn’t consuming their lives, and was actually important to them. “They sat her down one day and explained that they are playing with some of the top players in the world [who] live in South Korea, so that was the only time that they could play,” Bell said. “They both went on to become world champions.”

Bell, recalling his time growing up gay in southern Utah, said he can identify with the importance of gaming. He said it felt liberating to explore his LGBTQ+ identity with people like himself online because he didn’t feel free to do so in his everyday life.

“Referencing myself, not being able to speak with people and explore my identity and being ripped away from that might’ve made me incredibly depressed or caused mental health issues,” Bell said, “because I would’ve felt like I was stuck in a world that I couldn’t get out of.”

Sky Mundell reported and wrote this story as a communication student at Weber State University. It is published as part of a collaborative including nonprofits Amplify Utah and The Salt Lake Tribune.

Source link

Related Topics:Amplify Utah Featured Salt Lake Community College

Click to comment

Utah

Reading changed these authors’ lives, now they want the same for Utah’s youth

Published

3 minutes ago

March 1, 2026

Press Room

Reading changed these authors’ lives, now they want the same for Utah’s youth

SALT LAKE CITY — “If you don’t think you’re a reader yet, it’s because you haven’t found the right book.”

Utah author Sara B. Larson believes there is a book out there for everyone that can make someone love reading. She and dozens of other authors gathered at StoryCon this weekend to teach and inspire young kids to love reading and writing.

“It’s hard to see the drop in literacy that has happened, but it’s also encouraging to see so many people banding together to try and combat it and help our youth,” Larson said.

StoryCon is a literature conference that brings together authors, educators, teens, tweens and everyone in between to focus on the power of literacy. Around 3,500 people flocked to the Salt Palace Convention Center for workshops on writing concepts, shopping for book merchandise, author signings, and even panels about Brandon Sanderson’s famed fantastical universe known as the Cosmere.

Sanderson, one of the most well-known fantasy authors to come out of Utah, said writing can feel isolating because it is such a solitary activity. He attended a conference similar to StoryCon in Nebraska when he was 18, and the opportunity to connect and meet with real authors was “so invigorating.”

“It was so powerful to just have a community. So I’ve always tried to do what I can to support communities, particularly for young people,” he said.

Aspiring writers don’t need to stress about writing the perfect book immediately, Sanderson advises. While some authors get lucky, like Christopher Paolini, who wrote “Eragon” at just 14 years old, most of the time writing is about exploring genres and just improving your skills over time, he said.

Brandon Sanderson speaks to thousands of people who attended the 2026 StoryCon literacy convention at the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Saturday. (Photo: Cassidy Wixom, KSL)

Sanderson himself didn’t love reading at first until between his eighth and ninth grade years.

“I went from being a C student to an A student because of books. This was partially because I found myself in the books; I had a reason to care, but your reading comprehension going up helps in all aspects of life,” he said. “Having a fluency with reading, reading for the love of it, which will just build those muscles in your brain, is extremely important.”

Brandon Mull, author of the “Fablehaven” series, said he also didn’t like reading as a kid until he read “The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,” which made a “light go on.” He now feels he owes C.S. Lewis the credit for how his life turned out.

“When I learned to read for fun as a kid, it changed the trajectory of my life,” Mull said. “I’m a practical example of how big a difference learning to love reading can make for someone.”

Authors Sara B. Larson and Brandon Sanderson speak to StoryCon CEO Jennifer Jenkins at a meet and greet during the 2026 StoryCon literacy convention in Salt Lake City, Saturday. (Photo: Cassidy Wixom, KSL)

Mull focuses on children’s literature and said he tries to write stories that children and families can enjoy. Reading fiction helps children develop “a rich inner life,” learn how to be empathetic and develop their minds to be a place ideas can be explored.

The Utah author will soon be celebrating the 20th anniversary of his book “Fablehaven,” which will include a special illustrated edition of the beloved children’s book, a dramatized full-cast audiobook, and the premiere next year of a film based on the novel. He also will be releasing a new series this year called “Guardians” that he believes is some of his best work.

With so many things competing for kids’ attention every day, it’s crucial to teach them to read, Mull said.

“If we don’t get kids to learn how to read a book and turn it into a story in their head, they are missing an aspect of education that makes them good consumers of information and good consumers of stories,” he said.

Larson agreed with that sentiment, saying people’s brains are being “hijacked” and getting stuck in a loop of only having a 3-second attention span because of social media. Larson has written more than eight fantasy books, including the popular “Defy” trilogy.

“This phenomenon that is happening to our kids, they are losing the ability to focus, losing the ability to even think with any sort of deep analytical process. It’s so vital to get to these kids and help them realize you have got to put down the phone and pick up a book and train yourself to focus,” she said.

There is wealth, knowledge, joy, happiness, peace and calm to be found when you put social media away and instead dive into a book, she said. Reading helps children grow up to be successful adults who can pursue goals, constantly learn and successfully contribute to society.

StoryCon CEO Jennifer Jenkins said it has been overwhelming to see the success of the event. StoryCon was created by the nonprofit Operation Literacy last year and has become the biggest literacy-focused event in Utah.

Growing up, she felt there wasn’t a place for writers compared to athletes or dancers who always had camps and conventions, so she helped found Teen Author Boot Camp, which evolved into StoryCon.

“Kids need to know they are being taken seriously. They need to be validated and know they are being encouraged,” she said. “That’s the why behind all of this. We really want to put them before anything else. These kids are the heart of everything we do.”

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Source link

Utah

Why Utah Represents Arizona State’s True Turning Point

Published

12 hours ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Why Utah Represents Arizona State’s True Turning Point

Arizona State basketball is at a crossroads. After back-to-back road losses to Baylor and TCU, the Sun Devils are suddenly fighting just to stay above .500.

Now, with Utah coming to town Saturday afternoon, this isn’t just another conference game. It feels bigger than that. It feels like the moment that decides whether this season still has life or if it quietly fades away.

The Danger of Falling Below .500

All season long, Arizona State has had one strange pattern.

Every time they dropped to .500, they responded with a win. They never let things spiral.

But now they’re sitting right on the edge again.

A loss to Utah would push them below .500 for the first time all year. That might not sound dramatic, but it matters for team morale.

Teams feel that shift. Confidence changes. Urgency changes. And with only a few games left before the Big 12 Tournament, there isn’t much time to recover.

That’s why this Utah game feels different.

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Baylor Bears guard Isaac Williams (10) scores a basket over Arizona State Sun Devils guard Anthony Johnson (2) during the second half at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

Utah Is Playing Better — Especially on Defense

When these two teams met a few weeks ago, Utah was struggling.

Since then, they’ve improved. They’re still built around their top scorers, who combine for around 40 points per game, but the real difference lately has been defense.

Utah has started putting together more complete defensive performances. They’re contesting shots better. They’re finishing possessions. They’re not folding as easily in the second half.

That matters because Arizona State’s biggest issue right now isn’t effort, it’s physical depth.

Feb 21, 2026; Waco, Texas, USA; Arizona State Sun Devils head coach Bobby Hurley disputes a call with an official during the first half against the Baylor Bears at Paul and Alejandra Foster Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Chris Jones-Imagn Images | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

The Real Niche Problem: Guard-Heavy and Worn Down

Here’s something that doesn’t get talked about enough: Arizona State’s roster balance is off.

Because of injuries, especially the likely season-ending absence of Marcus Adams Jr., the Sun Devils are extremely guard-heavy right now. More than half of the available players are guards. That creates matchup issues, especially against physical teams.

We saw it against TCU. They got to the free-throw line 36 times.

They won the physical battle. Even when their best scorer struggled, they still controlled the game inside.

ASU just doesn’t have the same frontcourt depth.

With only a few true bigs available and some undersized forwards playing bigger roles than expected, the team can get worn down.

Late in games, that shows up in missed rebounds, second-chance points, and tired legs.

It’s not about hustle. It’s about bodies.

Why Saturday Truly Matters

If Arizona State beats Utah, everything changes.

Suddenly, you’re heading into Senior Night against Kansas with momentum. Win that, and you’re talking about a possible 7–11 conference finish and a much better Big 12 Tournament matchup.

From there? Anything can happen.

But if they lose Saturday, the math and the hope get much harder.

That’s why this game isn’t just about Utah.

It’s about belief. It’s about roster limitations. And it’s about whether this team has one more push left in them before the season runs out.

Source link

Utah

Utahns first or eroding the Utah way? House OKs measure cracking down on illegal immigration

Published

1 day ago

February 28, 2026

Press Room

Utahns first or eroding the Utah way? House OKs measure cracking down on illegal immigration

SALT LAKE CITY — A controversial Utah proposal to crack down on the presence of immigrants in the country illegally that had seemed stalled gained new life Friday, passing muster in new form in a relatively narrow vote.

In a 39-33 vote, the Utah House approved HB386 — amended with portions of HB88, which stalled in the House on Monday — and the revamped measure now goes to the Utah Senate for consideration.

The reworked version of HB386, originally meant just to repeal outdated immigration legislation, now also contains provisions prohibiting immigrants in the country illegally from being able to tap into in-state university tuition, certain home loan programs and certain professional licensing.

The new HB386 isn’t as far-reaching as HB88, which also would have prohibited immigrants in the country illegally from being able to access certain public benefits like food at food pantries, immunizations for communicable diseases and emergency housing.

Moreover, Rep. Trevor Lee, R-Layton and the HB88 sponsor, stressed that the new provisions in HB386 wouldn’t impact immigrants in the country legally. He touted HB88 as a means of making sure taxpayer money isn’t funneled to programming that immigrants in the country illegally can tap.

Rep. Lisa Shepherd, R-Provo, the HB386 sponsor, sounded a similar message, referencing, with chagrin, the provision allowing certain students in the country illegally to access lower in-state tuition rates at Utah’s public universities. Because of such provisions “we’re taking care of other countries’ children first, and I want to take care of Utahns first. In my campaign I ran and said Utahns first and this bill will put Utahns first,” she said.

If we stop young folks who have lived here much of their life from going to school and getting an education, it is really clear to me that we have hurt that person. It’s not clear to me at all that we have benefitted the rest of us.

–Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful

The relatively narrow 39-33 vote, atypical in the GOP-dominated Utah Legislature, followed several other narrow, hotly contested procedural votes to formally amend HB386. Foes, including both Democrats and Republicans, took particular umbrage with provisions prohibiting immigrants in the country illegally from being able to pay in-state tuition and access certain scholarships.

As is, students in the country illegally who have attended high school for at least three years in Utah and meet other guidelines may pay lower in-state tuition, but if they have to pay out-of-state tuition instead, they could no longer afford to go to college.

“If we stop young folks who have lived here much of their life from going to school and getting an education, it is really clear to me that we have hurt that person. It’s not clear to me at all that we have benefitted the rest of us,” said Rep. Ray Ward, R-Bountiful.

Rep. Hoang Nguyen, D-Salt Lake City, noted her own hardscrabble upbringing as an immigrant from Vietnam and said the changes outlined in the reworked version of HB386 run counter to what she believes Utah stands for.

“I fear that what we’re doing here in Utah is we are eroding what truly makes Utah special, the Utah way. We are starting to adopt policies that are regressive and don’t take care of people. Utahns are one thing. Citizens are one thing. People is the first thing,” she said.

Rep. John Arthur, D-Cottonwood Heights, said the measure sends a negative message to the immigrant students impacted.

“If we pass this bill today, colleagues, we will be telling these young people — again, who have graduated from our high schools, these kids who have gone to at least three years of school here — that you’re no longer a Utahn,” he said.

If we are compassionate to those who come the legal way and we are compassionate to those who already live here, that does not mean that we lack compassion for others in other ways.

–Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland

Rep. Kristen Chevrier, R-Highland, said the debate underscores a “fallacy” about compassion. She backed the reworked version of HB386, saying Utah resources should be first spend on those in the country legally.

“If we are compassionate to those who come the legal way and we are compassionate to those who already live here, that does not mean that we lack compassion for others in other ways,” she said.

The original version of HB386 calls for repeal of immigration laws on the books that are outdated because other triggering requirements have not been met or they run counter to federal law.

The Key Takeaways for this article were generated with the assistance of large language models and reviewed by our editorial team. The article, itself, is solely human-written.

Source link