“Go scrub” And “If there is a woman, it is normal to lose“Just a few of the sexist comments women face while playing games. video game ‘online with other users. Many ‘players’ decide mute microphones and use neutral or masculine nicknames while playing ‘e-sports’ so that other participants do not insult them during online games when they find out their identity.
According to the 2021 Lenovo company survey, 59% of the players hide your gender preventing harassment and discrimination, and 77% have to deal with one of a kind unwanted behavior playing, whether question your competition (70%) or other players tell them how should they play (65%). In addition, 44% of women annoying questions about their close relationships while online. “This happens all the time, but I think we’ve already gotten quiet and started to care what they say,” confirms “actress” Ana Oliveras.
Many women decide. leave the industry after facing ongoing harassment. As a result, their skills as players are rendered invisible, both because they decide to stop playing and because those who continue to do so hide their identities. This way, ‘players’ gain access. fewer professional positions As stated in the CIMA 2022 Report, “Studying gender stereotypes, roles and relationships: diagnosis and solutions to drive changes in the video game industry”.
Ana Oliveras reveals her identity the moment she enters to play. “Most people leave when they see it’s a girl. Then you will be saved from a boredom that will insult you throughout the game. But other times you play, you got a bad game and it’s they associate it with the fact that you’re a woman and you suckActress and ‘streamer’ Laurita Chicle (more than 58,000 followers on Twitch) encountered users asking her if she was a boy or a girl and attacking her with sexist comments when they heard her voice. chores-related or directly despicable, such as “back to the kitchen” “You’re good for a girl“.
different consumption
The latest data ensures there’s more equity in the consumption of video games among men (53%) and women (47%). But, Maria-Jose Masanet Associate professor of the Faculty of Information and Audio-Visual Media (UB) at the University of Barcelona, this is a misleading truthAs the research done reflects the overall consumption of games, from the ‘Candy Crush’ app on the mobile phone to the ‘Call of Duty’ app on the PlayStation. In the first case, the presence of women is much more widespread than in the second case, where inequalities actually exist. The first would fall into the ‘category’everyday‘ The Sims’ and ‘Animal Crossing’, which also includes simulation games, the second is ‘hard core‘, where others like ‘Valorant’ and ‘GTA’ are located.
According to the ‘Risks of the digital gender gap among adolescents’ research conducted by the same teacher on a scale of 1 to 5, girls place video game play frequency at 2.5 on average, while boys place video game play frequency on average. in 4.1. There is also a difference between “I like to play video games online with my friends” (2.1 for them and 4.2 for them) and “We play video games when we go to my friends’ house” (1.9 females and 3.88). men). ” highly masculinized areas and that’s why there’s so much violence and stereotypes,” says Professor Masanet.
New socialization areas
Anna Inigo An Information and Communications researcher at UB explored the concept of ‘.manosphere’ Through the ‘Transmedia Gender & LGBTI+ Literacy’ project where she works with adolescents and young people from UB, Quatre Cantons institute, AEI Raval and Sant Boi de Llobregat COS Pedagògium. ‘Manosphere’ refers to various digital spaces and cultures such as video platforms, social networks and video games. mostly occupied by young menthey appear in speeches to women and community people LGTBIQ+.
According to the researcher, adolescents promote these insults while playing games with their friends online. His research found young people consuming things through Discord (the chat app) and while connected to video games. pornographyContent that incites hatred against women and videos violations multiple girls. “It’s a space for socialization through misogyny,” she explains. According to the expert, it is a situation that is introduced through the content shared by some ‘youtubers’ and ‘streamers’.
masculinized places
“When a girl stands as a reference in this masculinized space, it will be interpreted in patriarchal logic and they will not respect her. He will not be taken seriously as he is an expert.“, points out Iñigo. Also, the researcher thinks that women face many more obstacles and tend to be sexualized: “If you’re sexy because you’re very sexy, but if you’re ugly and you wear glasses, because you’re sexy. you are a loser. From the patriarchal point of view, every woman will always be the focus of criticism just because she is a girl“.
“With a patriarchal point of view, every woman will always be the focus of criticism just because she is a girl.” Anna Íñigo, researcher
During his research, Iñigo interviewed a boy who used female characters while playing with his friends. He felt at that time much more exposure and there was more severe interactions When he plays with a male avatar, both by his own friends who make sexual comments to him and by other users who try to flirt with him by mistaking him for a girl. “It’s impossible not to have girls, gays and trans people playing video games. They’ll definitely be in safer environments where they don’t have to discover their identities,” says the expert. “It’s hard for me to see a girl enter these areas calmly and safely.“, evident.
Small professional female presence
In recent years a increase in female presence in the world of video games. According to “Streamer” Laurita Chicle, women from the coronavirus pandemic have stepped into the world of video games and Twitch. But the ‘player’ Ana Oliveras,”At a competitive level, this growth is much more difficult to see.“Valorant has been a game that has robbed a pretty large community of women, but most of that community isn’t professional yet,” she explains.
‘E-sports’ leagues are still a pending issue. Currently there are general and women’s competitions. “Inside general leagues are not girls. I don’t think it’s specifically a matter of level, but a matter of opportunity. If you have 5,000 actresses and 5 million male players, even if they are on the same level as one of these guys, there is a tendency not to sign them,” explains Oliveras. Researcher Anna Iñigo believes that quotas should be lifted.
lack of regulation
There is still no regulation protecting women from such comments. Although they can block and warn violent users, ‘players’ registration with ID This allows you to discover who is behind every name on the networks. “I had a situation two years of bullying It’s the story of a man who opened several accounts because he didn’t have to verify anything else,” says Laura Chicle.
Of course, gamers pay special attention to the fact that what happens on the network is a reflection of what is happening in the world today. “They’re always focusing on the video game, as if it’s something up-to-date and modern, without equality issues, everything should be working fine anyway, but all kids still live in environments where there are a lot of shortcomings in those areas.” Olivera’s words. “It is impossible for you to realize something that is not in the society in the game.. The main thing is education,” he concludes, “actor”.