The Anti-Defamation League (ADL) has released its fourth annual report on player experiences in online multiplayer games, with unfortunate results that point towards an increase in hate and extremism. This year’s report goes even further with an analysis of a younger demographic, now being exposed to more radical ideologies in games catered specifically to them such asRoblox.
The ADL is a non-government organization that specializes in civil rights, especially those of marginalized people in the United States. Starting in 2018, the ADL began conducting studies to gather information on interactions in online games, intending to educate publishers and developers on what the customer base is experiencing. The 2021 report found that 71% of all adult gamers experienced some form of harassment in online games, which should be no surprise given the very public controversies that occurred last year, including The Last Of Us Part 2 Voice actors receiving anequal dose of hatred. According to the report, 2022 is faring no better.
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This year’s report breakdown, availablefrom the ADL’s Website, shows an increase in adult players experiencing harassment during online games from 71% in 2021 to 77% this year. Study participants ages 10 and up reported harassment came in the form of racial, gender, age, or sexual orientation discrimination as well as trolling, griefing, and other types of public embarrassment from other players. Study participants ages 18 and older also reported more extreme forms of harassment including swatting and doxing.
While the majority of the study focuses on toxic gamers and general harassment, another important factor was the spread of ideologies, including white supremacy, through online gaming. The ADL claims that games such as Roblox,Call of Duty, andFortnitehave exposed around 2.3 million teens, ages 13-17, to extremist ideologies.
As an example, the ADL cites a case study titled From Gaming to Hating: Extreme-Right Ideological Indoctrination and Mobilization for Violence of Children on Online Gaming Platforms,where during the study, a young child tried some of the WW2 recreation games on Roblox before receiving an invitation to a Discord server. The Discord server was filled with hate speech, with most users voicing a desire to liberate the country by way of genocide. This is especially worrisome given that Discord is currently working towardsintegrating further into consolessuch as the PS5.
The report isn’t all doom and gloom, however, as the ADL states its ultimate goal is to shed light on these issues so developers and publishers can take the steps necessary to improve conditions with these online platforms. The study makes special mention of some studios taking steps to better police the online ecosystem, with bothMicrosoftand Roblox Corp receiving written applause for recent efforts. However, similar to the currentmove towards unionizationat companies like Activision Blizzard, the ADL calls on the game industry to do more. This includes, but is not limited to, companies allowing regular third party audits, improving online hate and harassment report systems, and even asking the ESRB to provide more accurate ratings, so parents can protect their children from overly toxic interactions or harmful ideologies during their formative years.
