Anyone else here hate voice chatting in video games?

[MrJoker789]

I'm just getting sick of making friends. Talking with them for a long time over text, then the dreaded question comes "wanna jump on VC"?
You often end up feeling like the 3rd wheel if you don't like to go on VC
I don't enjoy voice chatting for many reasons. I'm also introverted have social anxiety.
Some reasons:

1. I hate sudden loud noises (loud laughter, yells)
2. I'm very bad at responding right away. Text gives me time to think what I want to say
3. I feel like I always have to "be on"
4. I don't like how my voice sound and my accent
5. I kind of like not knowing how people sound sometimes. I can be more immersive for me to fill in the blanks myself (I also like roleplaying)

I was just wondering if anyone else have troubles with this

I like playing MMORPGs
But lately it's just like a default expectation that you have to go on discord and use voice when doing stuff, and I just kinda hate it
I just prefer typing, even though I know it makes you much less efficient in group content

I could imagine maybe others here might feel the same
I just sometimes feel like I'm the only one, but I'm sure I can't be

 

[PropaneOctane]

I also thought I was the only one, especially at the "Text gives me time to think what I want to say" part.
I have my best friend who's in the opposite direction. I hop in the voice chat for them, yet I can't help but feel drained every time during and after and i feel like crap because of that.

 

[Lady_V]

Yes! I refuse to play multiplayer games because I don't even want to see people typing to me. Random men screaming at me or being overly mean because I am a woman, even if it is online, is too much for my nervous system.

 

[Manaaja]

I hate it because my speaking voice doesn't match my great, glorious inner voice.

Did you know you can usually spot a person who was badly abused as a kid from their voice, since their voice often never drops or only drops a tiny bit so they sound like a kid even as adults?

Speaking in high voice is often a trauma and stress response. Like a puppy yelping when it's bitten by a bigger dog, trying to make itself seen harmless and nonthreatening and baby-like and submissive. Abused kids are in eternal trauma and stress, so they never start to speak in a low voice and so their voice muscles never develop.

If you have the chance, I really suggest trying to train your voice muscles, to speak lower. I bet the supposed voice of all of us here is a lot lower that what it's currently.

 

[Mooncry]

Abused kids are in eternal trauma and stress, so they never start to speak in a low voice and so their voice muscles never develop.

Is that true? I thought voice dropping was just due to bodily changes during puberty? I went through a lot of abuse as a kid and I speak in a high voice around most people, but my non-fawning voice that I use around people I'm comfortable with is a bit lower.

 

[Manaaja]

Is that true? I thought voice dropping was just due to bodily changes during puberty? I went through a lot of abuse as a kid and I speak in a high voice around most people, but my non-fawning voice that I use around people I'm comfortable with is a bit lower.

Hormones do drop it, and genetics affect, but it's also exercise and use. An adult often has bigger leg muscles than a kid, but an adult who does a lot of leg exercises often has much bigger muscles than an adult who never does.

Anything that is a muscle gets bigger and stronger when it's used. A woman who has trained as an opera singer from a little kid will almost always have a deeper voice than a woman who hasn't.

Of course as with everything it's a sum of everything plus randomness.

 

[MrJoker789]

I also thought I was the only one, especially at the "Text gives me time to think what I want to say" part.
I have my best friend who's in the opposite direction. I hop in the voice chat for them, yet I can't help but feel drained every time during and after and i feel like crap because of that.

I have a good friend who says they are like you.
They are on voice chat a lot with some mutual in-game friends.
But they say they find it draining
I guess I just figured they were probably just trying to make me feel good and not feel to weird about being the only one not joining their voice group chats, but maybe they are speaking the truth
It must just be sad to feel like you have to go on voice to hang out with certain people

Yes! I refuse to play multiplayer games because I don't even want to see people typing to me. Random men screaming at me or being overly mean because I am a woman, even if it is online, is too much for my nervous system.

I can imagine! Must be annoying :/
If you don't do voice, you can always just not say you are a woman. 99% will assume you are a guy :D

 

[Alpacachino]

I'm introverted as well. But I used to enjoy playing and discussing strategy with others on my team .I call it discussion but it's actually just other people shouting out orders or what they want you to do . Eventually though, some 14 year old or 12 year old will come online and troll you or call you nasty names. I used to play every day and have a good time, but umm, after a couple or so of really bad interactions I just turned off vc.

 

[WhatCouldHaveBeen32]

I used to be comfortable with it when I was 9 years old, talking to adults and teens and kids in public community lobbies no problem, asking about help about math and school when I also had the chance. They were very nice to me. Then as I played less public community servers, I stopped talking, trauma came back and hit me in the head (you know, the usual child who acts too mature for their age and then is an adult who can't tie their god damn shoes when they could do 5 different knots at 11), now absolutely loathe talking in public VC.