Lindsey Darvin (SPM) PI, Esports for All: Measuring the Rates of Toxicity Towards Women and Girls in Esports and Gaming
Excitement over the tremendous growth and opportunity that gaming has experienced is largely overshadowed by the persistent misogyny that is a feature across much of the industry. While a variety of individuals who do not belong to the majority group of gamers (i.e., White, heterosexual, cisgender men and boys) have reported instances of harassment and toxicity in gaming, women and girls continue to report the highest rates of exclusion. As a result, the current project will distinctly focus on measuring toxicity and hostility towards women and girls in gaming. Participants in attendance at a major annual gaming convention (TwitchCon) will be asked to provide their perceptions of gendered toxicity, hostility, discrimination, and harassment based on their previous and ongoing engagement in online gaming environments.