While browsing for pieces and reflections on the rise of DnD, I came across this article by the Washington Post. The article addresses how the demographic for DnD has shifted to become a very inclusive community over the years. I find this interesting as Dungeons and Dragons may have once been seen as a haven for people that would have been more or less segregated from “the popular crowd. The once typical image of a nerd that would likely conjure up in someone’s mind when they think of a DnD player is the cliche bespectacled, pale, neck-bearded basement dweller. But I would argue that this stereotype doesn’t really apply anymore, and may have always been a skewed portrayal of the roleplaying community’s actual demographic. A lot of celebrities from James Franco, Vin Diesel, Drew Barrymore and many others have opened up about their love of the dice rolling game. Perhaps one of the reasons that DnD has grown in popularity is the fact that a lot of the nerds that may have once felt segregated have become the very people that are in charge of hiring especially in tech-savvy companies. It’s also become a a therapeutic environment where individuals may take on a new identity for several reasons – letting off steam, working through issues, exercise in empathy and more. What I find really interesting is the DnD stardom that has arisen through podcasts like The Adventure Zone, Critical Role and to a lesser extent Harmontown. As technology continues to advance at an increasingly rapid pace, why is it that more and more people are turning to this pen and paper collective storytelling game? In 2018 Wizards of the Coast sold more copies of DnD than ever before. Are computers and electronic devices proving to be somewhat isolating? An oversimplification for sure, but I believe that desire for human interaction has a part to play in the resurgence of DnD as well as tabletop board games.