With the state of the economy today most people can no longer afford to go out for a drink or a meal with their friends, which has led to less and less social interaction. Television and other media outlets have also had a significant contribution to the decline of social interaction because people would rather stay home and watch their favorite shows rather than go out with friends. The combination of these factors has led to people becoming much more isolated than they were a few decades ago.
There was a time when neighbors and friends would meet at each other’s homes to play card games and board games, which meant that the community was much closer and everybody knew everybody else. People would attend bingo games, since it was a much more affordable way to spend some time with friends than going out to dinner.
Even though people don’t go out as often anymore, they still yearn for social interaction. Luckily, there is now a happy medium between affordable entertainment and social interaction, namely online bingo.
A Little Bingo History
Bingo’s roots can be traced all the way back to 16th-century Italy, to a game known as “Il Giuoco del Lotto d’Italia.” By the end of the 18th century, bingo had become quite popular in France and had matured into a game that was quite similar to its present-day incarnation.
The game first appeared in the U.S. at a carnival near Atlanta, Georgia, in 1929 and was known as “beano.” It was referred to as beano because players would mark their cards with beans and shout out “beano” if they won.
The game’s current name was an accident. Edwin Lowe, the man who made the game popular, heard someone shout “bingo” by mistake because he was so happy that he had won. From then on, Lowe decided to adopt the name, and by the 1940s the game was being played all over the country.
Online Bingo: The Bridge That Spans Countries and Generations
There are plenty of sites offering online bingo nowadays, and they are all trying to recreate the same sense of community offered by offline bingo games. They are attempting to increase the degree of socialization by offering chat capabilities within the game. Even though the level of interaction cannot compare to a face-to-face game, it is still a great solution for people who can’t go out, whether due to affordability or family obligations.
The advantage to online bingo is that even people who are reticent to go into regular chat rooms or hang out on social media sites feel comfortable making friends and chatting while playing the game. People may feel more comfortable socializing while playing online bingo because making friends is only a bonus to playing, rather than being the ultimate goal.
The result is that more and more people, from countries across the world and from different generations, are joining online bingo sites because they provide entertainment and social interaction at a very affordable price. In fact, some sites also offer free versions of bingo, to attract as many participants as they can.
All the signs point to the fact that online bingo will continue to gain in popularity due to its social component. People are very social and will always seek other’s company. Online bingo allows them to make new friends and interact with other people without having to pay a fortune to do it.