The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Based on the provided text, the correct answer is:
The key idea of the passage is that online interactions within gaming communities provide significant psychological benefits, specifically by helping players improve their self-esteem and form new friendships.
Explanation
The provided text builds a concise and persuasive argument about the positive effects of online communication for gamers. The central claim is presented immediately: chatting online is not just for making friends, it also enhances a person’s self-esteem. This establishes the two main benefits that the rest of the paragraph will support.
To lend credibility to this claim, the author introduces an expert, psychologist Berni Good. This is a strategic move to show that the idea is not mere opinion but is backed by professional research and observation. The quote from Good provides the core evidence for the argument. It explains the mechanism behind the self-esteem boost. Players feel “greatly rewarded” when they share their gaming experiences with others. This feeling of reward is a powerful psychological motivator. The text specifies that this sharing happens both on social media and within multiplayer game environments, highlighting the different platforms where these positive social interactions occur. Sharing experiences allows players to feel seen, validated, and connected to a community with shared interests, which directly contributes to a stronger sense of self-worth.
Finally, the passage concludes by connecting the concepts of reward and self-esteem more broadly. The statement, “When something improves self-esteem, people gain an appreciation for it,” serves as a concluding thought. It reinforces why these online communities are so valuable to their members. The positive feedback loop, where sharing leads to a rewarding feeling that boosts self-esteem, causes gamers to develop a genuine appreciation for the activity and the social connections it fosters. The passage effectively uses expert testimony to explain how social sharing in gaming is a psychologically enriching activity.
