Addressing Toxic Masculinity in the Esports Space

It’s no secret that the esports space is prone to issues with toxicity. Just like other social platforms remove many of the social mores that keep interactions respectful, online gaming allows bad actors to take advantage of others without facing much if any, backlash. In some of the most extreme cases, like that exhibited during Gamergate, certain demographics are targeted and experience high levels of harassment.?

At its worst, unregulated esports spaces become an echo chamber where sexism, racism, homophobia, transphobia, ableism, and cyberbullying are rampant and celebrated. The origin of this toxicity seems to come from the need to "fit in" to this new culture that has formed around esports, despite not fully understanding it. This is the view that many people from marginalized communities have of the esports space.

Unfortunately, this is the case because there are many benefits that esports participation offers children. The universal nature of online gaming provides a platform where people of all races, gender, ability, and socioeconomic status can come together and enjoy an immersive activity that brings people together. However, it does seem that there is a contingent of gamers who want to keep esports the same. In many cases, male gamers are looking to denigrate others and continue the status quo of select dominance within the space.?

There are many options for addressing toxic masculinity in online communities like esports, from youth coaching in esports to structured gaming leagues. But before these solutions can be applied, it’s important to understand what’s behind the prevalence of toxic behavior.

Understanding Toxic Masculinity in Esports

There are simply too many variables present to achieve a straightforward understanding of the causal factors behind toxic male behavior and bullying in online forums. Psychologists, industry experts, and other concerned parties have put extensive effort into unearthing how predominantly white male gamers come to engage in such aggressive behavior. However, there are some of the main factors that these experts believe contribute to this dangerous behavior.

A Lack of Oversight

For the most part, online gaming leagues and other online forums are regulated reactively and at a high level. This means that the only time that a league might pay attention to some of the more toxic behavior on its platform is when it receives enough complaints. While these more serious instances can result in permanent bans, it seems that initiatives like the Fair Play Alliance formed by major game developers are still not enough to curb toxic behavior.?

Even with additional measures, online gaming spaces are extremely difficult to monitor because there are too many games and users for anyone league or company to reasonably oversee everything that happens on its platform in real-time. With that said, lack of oversight is not the only problem that's plaguing these spaces as toxic behavior propagates and becomes more harmful over time.

Anonymity and Mob Behavior

Just like behavior at large rallies and big public events can become aggressive, even dangerous, at the drop of a hat, the same principle seems to be at play in the exhibition of toxic online behavior. The power of anonymity and mob mentality can embolden trolls and cyberbullies to take their abuse even further in online spaces where the visceral nature of negative emotional reactions is largely absent.?

To make matters even worse, online gaming leagues can be even less prepared to deal with this behavior because many players can hide behind their anonymity. User accounts require very little information about gamers themselves, and while this helps maintain personal privacy, it makes it difficult to identify the culprits of online abuse. ?

Lack of Role Models and Leadership

Although the industry has taken steps to mitigate these issues, many organizations still don’t take the time to teach their players or employees about using online systems responsibly and respectfully. This is especially obvious when looking at the behavior exhibited by a long list of professional gamers and high-profile influencers who have recently been called to task — many of whom were previously thought of as role models for younger gamers.?

If we were all held accountable and expected to behave a certain way, we wouldn't see these issues come up time and again. These problems could be solved if there was an actual code of conduct and expectation of behavior within these spaces.?

Addressing Toxic Masculinity with Youth Coaching in Esports

One of the best ways to establish these morals is through youth coaching in esports at a younger age, where the lessons and social development have a greater impact. If you want to learn more about how innovative organizations like Vanta Leagues are fighting to improve the gaming experience and eliminate toxic behavior in esports leagues, get in touch with us today!