When the suggestion of our #16bitDreams campaign was first mentioned, I think it made us all think back to our first real memory of video games. For me that memory was being dragged along to my sister Laura’s swimming competitions, walking up to the viewing gallery, past the pool table and joining the queue for the next go on the Street Fighter II arcade machine.

This was the one shining light in an otherwise uninteresting hour of my prepubescent day, and it wasn’t just the actual game playing that made it enjoyable. At least half the fun was found in talking to other non-swimming siblings about their own Street Fighter exploits, or forming an amazed audience for those who actually knew what they were doing and weren’t just violently bashing buttons like the rest of us.

Those early memories of arcade gaming and the camaraderie that came from them are in stark contrast to today’s globally connected, bedroom-accessible version of video gaming.

Today’s young gamer has a world of escapism at their fingertips. The press of a touch sensitive panel or even the declaration of “Xbox on” boots up hours of immersive entertainment right in your home. Or right in your bed.

I’m well aware that walking to the local arcade wasn’t exactly the most strenuous of physical activities, but we all know the statistical trends of this generation’s youth. Obesity is on the rise, sporting participation is decreasing, and games console sales have passed the 30 million unit mark.

But other than some fresh air and some burnt calories, are the young video gamers of today missing something…more?

What happened to social interaction?

Arcades were to a 90’s kid what an online game of Call of Duty is to today’s gamer. Here was the chance to meet like-minded people and talk about a topic that genuinely excited you. Street Fighter or Mortal Kombat? Sega or Nintendo? The next big game release.

So what’s the big difference? Well, one took place in person and involved some, you know, human interaction. The other occurs in the comfort of homes around the world via headsets that would make Madonna proud.

“But social media has made us more connected than ever” I hear you say! And it’s certainly been engrained into the fabric of the latest generation of games consoles. But just how much interaction does social media provide us with?

Has social media made us less social?

Consider for a moment what’s more commonplace in your life: clicking a like button, or knocking on a friend’s door and asking them how they’re doing? As with all technological advances, social media has made our interactions convenient and time-saving, but what have we lost in place of likes, comments and retweets?

Sherry Turkle writes in “Alone Together: Why We Expect More from Technology and Less from Each Other” that we fear the risks and disappointments of relationships with our fellow humans, so we’ve minimised that fear by replacing actual interactions with communications distilled by the protection of a message or share screen. This has led to us “expecting more from technology and less from each other.”

On the face of it, an online game of Halo played across continents with participants of different races and religions is a remarkable thing. Bringing together a group of gamers on a scale never before possible is undoubtedly a massive technological step. But how remarkable is it in terms of social interaction? Are these people losing out on something more by playing Halo in their pants rather than interacting with real people in a place like a 90’s video game arcade?

And how far reaching is this impact? Does it extend beyond just social interaction?

Is technology making us less human?

John Brandon introduces the term sensory dynamism (yeah, that’s a thing) on TechRadar and questions whether our dependence on technology has led to us becoming dehumanised. The extreme lack of variances found in staring at a device screen compared to say, stepping out your front door could even stifle our senses to such an extent that it puts a ceiling on human evolution.

Although maybe (just a little) exaggerated, South Park hit the nail on the head with their World of Warcraft inspired episode in portraying the zombie-like effects of computer gaming on personal relationships, desensitisation and well… the ability to make it to the toilet.

Extreme, I know, but is this becoming more and more of a reality as playing computer games replaces traditional childhood activities like climbing a tree?

Child health journal Acta Paediatrica released research in 2011 that showed children are are actually growing weaker. Over the space of just 10 years kids can do fewer sit-ups and are less able to hang from wall bars in a gym. Have we given birth to a generation of skinny, boggle eyed, pale adults that fall over when someone sneezes next to them?

So what does it all mean?

Operating in an industry that relies on technological advancements to thrive, I can’t exactly say that the development of computer games from what I remember as a child to what it is today is a bad thing. And I’d be lying if I did. I love today’s computer games. GTA V is one of the best things created. Ever. But I do worry for the kid playing Halo in his pants 18 hours a day…

Maybe take a break once in a while. Go outside. Climb a tree. Meet your friends. In person and everything.

And hey, computer games don’t have to go out the window. Why not reminisce? Dust off that SNES or Megadrive, dig out those old cartridges and create your own games arcade where gaming and human interaction can live side-by-side. That’s what we’re doing at We Are Empire during #16bitDreams and I for one can’t wait.