For ‘Gamer Girls’ paid to play ‘Fortnite,’ therapy skills are almost required

Raggie · May 3, 2019

Just a perfect example of how toxic masculinity is harmful to everyone.

I agree some of these guys should be seeing a professional councelor, but I suspect for many it's not an option. Money for one. Most helpful would probably teaching boys how to have a healthy relationships with other people, and their own emotions.

Calvarok · May 3, 2019

This makes a lot of sense. Honestly nothing weird about it. In a society where men so often feel like they cant ask for help or open up to people they know, paying for a quasi-therapist gaming buddy makes sense. Sex workers deal with a lot of the same things: men who mostly actually want to talk for most of their time, and similar problems with behavior and treatment.

This kind of work is a valuable service that should be destigmatized, whatever form it takes.

Messofanego · May 3, 2019

Hmm play with a girl and hope she doubles as emotional support and a quasi-therapist or pay for a qualified therapist? Oh wait this is America where the latter is not as affordable. Makes sense young, confused boys go down this route.

Chaos2Frozen · May 3, 2019

That 16 year old girl you meet on Fortnite is absolutely not equipped to talk you out of suicide.

Not to mention, she adds, "Sometimes the problems they have are too difficult for me. One of my clients was telling me about how he was thinking about committing suicide. I spoke to him enough to convince him not to, but it was scary."

jipewithin · May 3, 2019

How much more does it cost to pay for real therapist? Why not save up? Where I live its like 100 euro/session. Pretty sure you get more bang for your buck from that.

This seems bizzare, sad, pathetic and total waste of money.

"even though women make up nearly half of all Fortnite players"

Is this true? Source? Interesting.

nuttyevans · May 3, 2019

A lot of people out there have little to no contact with real people in the real world and it's incredibly sad.

TheBeardedOne · May 3, 2019

Maybe if psychologists didn't charge $175-200 per hour, more people would go see them. I know I would. Weekly.

Mendrox · May 3, 2019

So it's the same as a Hostess club, without all the sexuality, the alcohol and you play games? Sounds great for many people. I don't see the harm. She makes the rules, the people follow them or get kicked out. She also makes money and enjoys a game so Win/Win. Also no direct contact in regards to people not being able to controll themselves.

Timppis · May 3, 2019

UnholySpectacle said:
More proof we stray further from God's light everyday.

Because God inherently told in the holy texts that one shall not be ass while gaming.

No?

Maybe they should have? You know instead of that shit about cattle or concubines.

Zephy · May 3, 2019

"Honestly, sometimes I have to stop them from telling me too much about their relationship issues. My biggest fear is that I'll end up accidentally causing one of them to break up with their girlfriends."

This is the part that weirds me out the most. Guys have girlfriends, and they pay money to specifically play with a girl ? This doesn't seem right.

F0NZ · May 3, 2019

Tricks and their Johns, same old story.

Nimmermehr · May 3, 2019

It's kinda funny that the same guys who are scaring away girls who actually want to play through their bullshit behaviour pay other girls to play with them.

Chaos2Frozen · May 3, 2019

Zephyriel said:
This is the part that weirds me out the most. Guys have girlfriends, and they pay money to specifically play with a girl ? This doesn't seem right.

Well for one thing their girlfriends might not like video games or at least not Fortnite.

For another... They might have problems specific to their relationship that they need to vent.

Nimmermehr said:
It's kinda funny that the same guys who are scaring away girls who actually want to play through their bullshit behaviour pay other girls to play with them.

Are they the same guys? This don't seem to be the case. Not to say there isn't any overlaps but it's not always the case.

boris_feinbrand · May 3, 2019

Welcome to the service industry.
Where customers old and young male and female harass you, call you names and threaten you with violence and legal action all the time.
Anyone that thinks that the experience on these services is any worse than what any other customer facing service personell is experiencing daily needs a wake up call.

People don't respect service workers in real life, why would they do so online?
Once they pay, they think they own you.

Customers aren't kings, they're health hazards.

Zephy · May 3, 2019

Chaos2Frozen said:
Well for one thing their girlfriends might not like video games or at least not Fortnite.

I thought about this, but why would they specifically need to play with a girl ? And go so far as to pay for it ? Playing with your gf is a great experience, but I don't think such a service can compensate for it if you miss it in your relationship. And if it does to you, then this means you're looking for a couple's activity with another person, which seems a bit cheat-y to me. If the gf is okay with it it's fine I guess, but in most cases, I doubt they know or would agree if they did.

Chaos2Frozen said:
For another... They might have problems specific to their relationship that they need to vent.

Fair enough. But this is an oddly specific way to go to vent your relationship issues. To each their own of course, this just feels weird to me.

Alwayscrazybacon · May 3, 2019

Mendrox said:
So it's the same as a Hostess club, without all the sexuality, the alcohol and you play games? Sounds great for many people. I don't see the harm. She makes the rules, the people follow them or get kicked out. She also makes money and enjoys a game so Win/Win. Also no direct contact in regards to people not being able to controll themselves.

Problem is these guys don't know what the hostess club dynamic is. It's far too close to "I know I'm paying her but she really actually likes me" slippery slope.

Chaos2Frozen · May 3, 2019

Zephyriel said:
I thought about this, but why would they specifically need to play with a girl ? And go so far as to pay for it ? Playing with your gf is a great experience, but I don't think such a service can compensate for it if you miss it in your relationship. And if it does to you, then this means you're looking for a couple's activity with another person, which seems a bit cheat-y to me. If the gf is okay with it it's fine I guess, but in most cases, I doubt they know or would agree if they did.

Fair enough. But this is an oddly specific way to go to vent your relationship issues. To each their own of course, this just feels weird to me.

Well the way I see it is that some guys might have an easier time opening up to women than to other men for reasons, it might be even easier if it's a total stranger.

The video game thing is just an activity or environment that they're most comfortable with.

Radeo · May 3, 2019

Before Fortnite people were paying for Mercy partners on Overwatch, and I know of people that paid girls to be their "gf" on WoW and Runescape

Disturbing not just because it's super unhealthy, but for a lot of people it becomes an avenue to abuse women too

Gelf · May 3, 2019

Chaos2Frozen said:
Well the way I see it is that some guys might have an easier time opening up to women than to other men for reasons, it might be even easier if it's a total stranger.

The video game thing is just an activity or environment that they're most comfortable with.

Obviously a case by case basis but I could see that being the case for some of them. I usually found it easier to be honest about my own anxiety issues with women rather than other men. I guess it's a toxic masculinity thing as I felt men where more likely to look down on me for showing weakness.

RadicalDreamer · May 3, 2019

Jessie said:
WHAT? This is a thing? Why the hell did I get a masters when I could've just played games with sad gamer boys?

Seriously reconsidering my further academic pursuits right now.

Mental health is certainly taboo for young men in some cultures, and it's interesting to think of video games as a medium to make the conversation more comfortable. I agree that $20/hour isn't enough for an actual counseling session, but it makes me wonder what kind of beneficial services could be offered by a mental health professional in a similar arrangement. Anything that can be done to break down the barrier to starting and accepting help deserves consideration, and this article makes me think that games could have some role to play here moving forwards. Anyways, happy Sam is making a few extra dollars and helping some people out of their shells for the time being.

WaffleTaco · May 3, 2019

This is such a bad idea for everyone involved. Good lord.

PontyfaxJr · May 3, 2019

These guys are losers sure, but therapy is expensive and it sucks sitting in a room with some stranger staring at you expecting your life story.

borat · May 3, 2019

not much compassion in this thread, broken young men reaching out is a good thing surely?

Horns · May 3, 2019

My little sister liked Halo 2 whenever it came out. I bought her an XBL membership back when Live included the headset that always broke. I was amazed how many creeps flocked to her in games. She would receive tons of friend requests and messages.

brambles13 · May 3, 2019

Mesoian said:
It's an avenue, sure.

It would be nice if there was a more affordable, more legitimate avenue regarding the mental health of young men and boys...but....

This is not an American-centric problem. Most of the world thinks like this, it's a human problem.

Teh_Lurv · May 3, 2019

Zephyriel said:
This is the part that weirds me out the most. Guys have girlfriends, and they pay money to specifically play with a girl ? This doesn't seem right.

These guys may feel they can't talk to their girlfriends about their issues for fear they might leave them for being "unmanly". I recall one young woman back in college telling me straight up that men expressing feelings was a turn-off to her, so the concern is real.

PontyfaxJr said:
These guys are losers sure,

Come on, man.

BlkSquirtle · May 3, 2019

This sounds great, good for the men and women.

I'm also going to tell my girlfriend to look into this, because why not.

PontyfaxJr · May 3, 2019

Teh_Lurv said:
Come on, man.

You come on.

Paying a little girl to play Fortnite with you makes you a loser. You look up loser in the dictionary and it says "noun. Men who pay young girls to pretend to be their friend in Fortnite"

Parenegade · May 3, 2019

Birdseye said:
I have a Twitch subscription to one channel so who am I to judge?

I don't think that's even remotely comparable. And it's kinda demeaning to the women of Twitch to be honest.

Deleted member 45765 · May 3, 2019

an endless supply of porn on-demand, it's giving us the inability to want to seek out real-life partners. First-hand account.

Bengraven · May 3, 2019

Oh so is this why when I look at Fortnite on my Xbox home screen there's always a top rated post that says "ADD ME TO PLAY WITH A GIRL!" Heart emojis, etc.

AkimbOb-omb · May 3, 2019

PontyfaxJr said:
You come on.

Paying a little girl to play Fortnite with you makes you a loser. You look up loser in the dictionary and it says "noun. Men who pay young girls to pretend to be their friend in Fortnite"

Are men also "losers" if they see a professional therapist?

Okii · May 3, 2019

It's a great value, I'm gonna try it out.

Grahf · May 3, 2019

borat said:
not much compassion in this thread, broken young men reaching out is a good thing surely?

Well I'm not sure about that. Why try to talk and interact with real people (or specialists) when you can pay some anonymous internet girl to be nice and play with you ?
Sure they'll get some temporary ego boost or something but I'm not sure it helps with their underlying problems. If anything it comforts them in their reclusiveness/social issues/etc.

Elephant · May 3, 2019

It caters to an audience i suppose. No doubt targeted at a specific male crowd, but a lot of ladies have made great successful careers out of them. Sexy Instagram models/cosplayers, "Titty streamers" etc. This is just another form of that.

Pay for these services if you want, but please don't use these girls for therapy, seek out a professional.

Deleted member 22649 · May 3, 2019

borat said:
not much compassion in this thread, broken young men reaching out is a good thing surely?

Mental health trouble is not an issue that almost anyone in America is comfortable, or even capable of, discussing. Most of us have been raised to think of people who struggle as losers.

Beyond that, there's the real emotional toll that this sort of gig is going to take on that girl in the story, and it's hard to look past that just because she's getting paid (especially since she isn't getting paid much at all).

Mesoian · May 3, 2019

brambles13 said:
This is not an American-centric problem. Most of the world thinks like this, it's a human problem.

I mean, I could get affordable therapy in Canada.

TheRaidenPT · May 3, 2019

Musubi said:
Paying for companionship always seems really fucking weird to me. I couldn't do it. I'd want to know the person is with me doing whatever because they wanted too not because they are getting paid to do so.

Well yeah it's beyond me as well.. one gets surprised after all..

Kinthey · May 3, 2019

This is just sad

rochellepaws · May 3, 2019

Mixed feelings on this but it does highlight just how pervasive loneliness is throughout the gaming community.

PontyfaxJr · May 3, 2019

AkimbOb-omb said:
Are men also "losers" if they see a professional therapist?

Don't pretend it's the same thing.

NattyBo · May 3, 2019

Stay thirsty, my dudes.

Seriously though if it works for both parties and no one is hurt who am I to judge

PSqueak · May 3, 2019

brambles13 said:
This is not an American-centric problem. Most of the world thinks like this, it's a human problem.

I think that was a "healthcare is horribly expensive in america" joke.

AYZON · May 3, 2019

As someone with selfesteem issues, this thread is a rollercoaster.
Luckily where I live this stuff isnt a thing yet so I couldnt try that even if I wanted to.

atomsk eater · May 3, 2019

Interesting read but sadly not surprising. I've known some dudes who dumped their emotional issues on virtual strangers on forums, via DMs, etc, wanting someone to tell them they aren't going to be alone forever or that they have worth or what not. The few times it's happened to me I'm just like "oh lord I'm not qualified or paid for this." It'd be great if they could use legit options for counseling and therapy, but not everyone has access to those.

boris_feinbrand said:
Welcome to the service industry.
Where customers old and young male and female harass you, call you names and threaten you with violence and legal action all the time.
Anyone that thinks that the experience on these services is any worse than what any other customer facing service personell is experiencing daily needs a wake up call.

People don't respect service workers in real life, why would they do so online?
Once they pay, they think they own you.

Customers aren't kings, they're health hazards.

Yeah, I think this is tied in. Your average service industry worker has to do a surprising amount of emotional labor for customers.

For ‘Gamer Girls’ paid to play ‘Fortnite,’ therapy skills are almost required

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