Playing Against Hate Speech

Abstract

This article proposes the study and analysis of the state-of-the-art in video game panorama, focusing on the tendency to use hate speech among young players. The immersion of the player in the symbolic arena of the game, where everything becomes possible, raises questions about the relationship between video games in the virtual world, and the player’s behavior in the physical world. It is shown that anonymity and the creation of communities and game groups can lead to the exclusion of and attacks to minorities; chat communications can facilitate sharing interests and game techniques as well as insults in times of tension between players, leading to imperative reflection on the role of gaming platforms in the control of shared content. Considering the boundless possibilities of video games, this article also reflects on game literacy and on how games have the potential to become powerful learning tools.

Keywords

• videogames
• hatespeech
• teens
• game literacy