It certainly seems as if we are living through a transformational period of time. Computers are changing the way we access information, communicate, work, and play. Perhaps the biggest change is the rise of virtual communities – changing the fundamental milieu of our relationships.

And as much as I feel computers have changed my life, it is nothing compared to the younger generation. I have a vicarious view of how college-age students are reinventing social structures. This goes beyond networking online and endless texting. You now have to learn how to break up on Facebook. You have to worry that your new boyfriend will decide to brag about your exploits in front of the entire online world.

The rapid social changes the internet and digital communication bring likely presents a challenge to social scientists, struggling to keep up. But it also presents the promise of new tools to study social behavior. Now researchers from the University of Minnesota have presented their study of social behavior in the massive multiplayer online (MMPO) community, Everquest 2.

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