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From Avoidance to Action: A Call for Open Dialogue on Hate, Harassment, and Extremism in the Gaming Industry

Published: 08 August 2024 Publication History

Abstract

Over the past few decades, digital games have become increasingly important for social connection and community building. However, the features that make games fantastic spaces for social connection also harbor toxicity, including hate, harassment, and the propagation of extremist ideologies. Despite the growing prevalence of these issues, there has been a lack of public-facing efforts from the gaming industry to address these concerns. One roadblock in particular has been the challenge of initiating open dialogue about these topics. In this study, we conducted focus groups with professionals across the game industry to facilitate discussions about the solutions and barriers they see in addressing the challenges associated with hate harassment and extremist ideologies in gaming spaces. Several barriers were identified, as well as actionable solutions for the industry's future.

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Cited By

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  • (2024)Ethical Games: Toward Evidence-Based Guidance for Safeguarding Players and DevelopersGames: Research and Practice10.1145/36852072:2(1-11)Online publication date: 29-Jul-2024

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Published In

cover image Games: Research and Practice
Games: Research and Practice  Volume 2, Issue 2
June 2024
149 pages
EISSN:2832-5516
DOI:10.1145/3613575
Issue’s Table of Contents

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Association for Computing Machinery

New York, NY, United States

Publication History

Published: 08 August 2024
Online AM: 13 April 2024
Accepted: 05 March 2024
Revised: 19 January 2024
Received: 28 August 2023
Published in GAMES Volume 2, Issue 2

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Author Tags

  1. Toxicity
  2. digital games
  3. extremism
  4. radicalization
  5. community management
  6. community resiliency

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  • (2024)Ethical Games: Toward Evidence-Based Guidance for Safeguarding Players and DevelopersGames: Research and Practice10.1145/36852072:2(1-11)Online publication date: 29-Jul-2024

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