Opinion

How ‘non-player character’ became a potent insult for the digital age

Desire to see oneself as authentic, self-guided free-thinker, hemmed in on all sides by herds of conformist sheep is fundamentally adolescent

This suspicion that other humans might not be real is an ancient one with a varied philosophical heritage. Photograph: Desiree Rios/The New York Times
This suspicion that other humans might not be real is an ancient one with a varied philosophical heritage. Photograph: Desiree Rios/The New York Times
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Mark O’Connell
Sun Mar 02 2025 - 07:00 • 5 MIN READ

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