Playing Jungle is the most unforgiving role ever.
Note: These problems can easily be solved by simply typing /Mute All (or the player's name). I strongly recommend that people do this for preventing distraction, though this topic is about the problem, as hiding from it with /mute doesn't solve it.
Everyone that has played Jungle with no premades comes across this problem in a multiple occasion; you lock in as a jungler that you know well, to dominate the enemy's team and carry your team to victory. But we also have those games that just tilt us so much, when it isn't (only) the enemy team that fights against you, but also your own team itself. There are some big problems when it comes down to player behavior, that makes locking in as jungler become a mentally hard challenge, and turn into the biggest unthankfully played role in the game.
Problem 1: People think their lane is the only lane in the game. Since you play a jungler, you don't play on a lane itself. Instead, your playfield is the area between all the lanes, as well as the rivers. Though, as a Jungler it's your role to help your lanes give that extra power to win their lane and proceed taking down the enemy turret(s). However, this soon starts to transcend into a differen't problem; Laners (especially in low elo) are tunnel-visionned. And I don't mean to aggrovate anyone, but it is a fact that the a notable portion of players only think about 4 roles; Themselves, their enemy laner(s), their jungler, and you. And if you can't show up to meet their needs/demands, they start to blame you for losing their lane. But what they don't know, is that a jungler is a player themselves too. As a jungler you need gold/CS as well to buy items, and there is more than just one lane to divide your attention to.
Problem 2: The lane wasn't already playing properly, yet somehow it's still your fault. Another problem I frequently see pass by is that a lane gets camped. This differs with a lot of junglers; Junglers with high reach or CC usually spam top, junglers with a low early-game clear or duelling power usually camp mid. Grouphug junglers usually camp bot. And whilst it's true that a camped lane is a lost lane, there are more problems to that lane that are not related to your absence, such as;
- Your lane is way too aggressive
- Your lane doesn't respect vision or wards insufficiently
- Your lane doesn't know how to play safe, stay in lane with low health, or don't use a turret as a safezone
And who gets the fault? You, for not showing up while their jungler always does. Even if I play jungle and I see someone playing recklessly, I'd go there to harvest some extra gold to carry. It's common sense to do.
Problem 3: Your laners expect you to help them, but they never help you (except for a leash.) A problem very notable in low elo, as mentioned in point 1 too, was that players tend to be very tunnel visioned. Whilst it can be argued the heat of a duel inside the lane can sometimes make it impossible to commit to helping you in need, most of the cases when an enemy jungler or laner is invading your jungler, you're there alone. Communication is a big lack in the lowest ranks, but even in higher ranks people won't come to your aid if you end up in a one-versus-two/three. So from that point, only two things can happen; you flee, and lost a big portion of farm, or you die, and still lose a big portion of farm. To add insult to injury even, people also constantly tend to take your camps as well. While it's understandable that there can sometimes be that request to get a blue buff so their lane can push faster, it has in many occasions come to such a degree that they do this as if the Jungler doesn't exist, or 'probably wouldn't need it anyway'.
In short, playing Jungler is in the current playerbase behavior regarded as playing a drive-by or safety net. People expect you to work according to their needs and demands, and when they need something from you, they just take it for granted and don't take in consideration you're a fifth actual player. People also usually point at the jungler as a scapegoat whenever their lane isn't going according to plan. It puts junglers in such a stressfull position that makes games often the most tilting experiences, it's distracting and having flaming laners makes it less attractive to helping them, escalating only into conterproductivity and distraction in the game.
