Toxicity in Gaming: Understanding the Problem

“Gamer” by Christoph Minixhofer — via Flickr Public Domain Images

What is toxicity? You might think it’s something simple to figure out, like the voice chat of every FPS lobby you joined growing up. If toxicity was that simple why hasn’t it been fixed yet?

Every day people get online to play games and every day there are assorted toxic behaviors exhibited. Where there is competition there is frustration, and where there is a winner there is also a loser. If we are going to address toxicity, we need to understand what it is and why it exists.

What is Toxicity?

Toxicity is defined as “the quality of being very harmful or unpleasant in a pervasive or insidious way.” — Oxford Languages. From abusive behavior in-game to harassment on teams and streams, it is a problem every community faces, but begins well before the game does.

Incoming nerd moment:

Aggression is driven in large part by the amygdala, the part of our brain that controls reactions to things like fear, and indirectly, stress. K.R. Gibson’s “Evolution of human intelligence” (2002) indicated that the amygdala assists in the mechanism for controlling negative emotions, and contained a connection to the aggression controller, the prefrontal cortex.

Previous studies indicate that activated and heightened aggression stem in-part from a failure or reduced ability to regulate emotions. Yes, brain chemistry plays a part in this, however it isn’t everything behind the toxicity we see in gaming. Let’s talk about what goes on outside the player that may contribute to toxicity.

6 Contributors to Player Toxicity

The following contributing factors are generalizations and not common across all cases of toxicity. They are not meant to target anyone, and only serve as insight on how toxic behavior can form.

via Concrete Online. By Kevin Chang — Creative Commons

1. Friend Group & Team — “You are the average of your closest five friends.” While a person is ultimately responsible for his/her actions, friends and team play a large role in determining what we deem “acceptable behavior.”
2. Family Life — This doesn’t have to translate to abuse. Aggressive tendencies can grow from feeling lonely and misunderstood. Does a family support the person’s gaming habits? Do they think it’s a waste of time? Lack of support can be damaging and impact long-term behavior.
3. Lifestyle — Unhealthy lifestyle can translate over to the game as well. If someone feels bad, he/she will often act accordingly. Ever heard of being hangry?
4. Environment (Game) — The more competitive a game gets, the more emotionally invested people tend to be. Games that surround players with high expectations and little forgiveness are often considered the most toxic cultures.
5. Company Culture — Culture drives community and a company is equally responsible for enabling bad behavior. Is bad behavior addressed quickly or allowed to roam freely? Is toxic content promoted and celebrated? Is the game overly-sexualized and degrading?
6. Age — Younger me is fuming right now. Yes, unfortunately being younger makes you more susceptible to toxic behavior. People tend to be more impressionable, and, circling back to the amygdala, less capable of regulating emotions.

What we can establish from these contributing factors is a new understanding of toxicity. With this understanding we can work to break down barriers and empower people to make better decisions.

Addressing Toxicity — Taking Action

Now that we understand what toxicity looks like, we can begin to identify how to address it. Below are some actions we’ve identified that contribute to a less toxic culture and a more positive player behavior.

The Player:

1. Take frequent breaks.
2. Eat before getting online and stay hydrated.
3. Try not to be a negative influence.
4. Speak out against toxic players, but don’t become the aggressor.

The Friends & Team:

1. Save feedback for after the game/round. Tensions may be high and pointing out problems may not help in the moment.
2. Encourage a positive environment by celebrating people’s strengths.
3. Tell your friend if they being toxic and making you feel uncomfortable. If you don’t speak up, nobody will know it’s a problem.

The Family:

1. Try to understand your child’s gaming habits, it may be more important to them than you realize.
2. Be supportive. If they are exhibiting addictive tendencies, try to encourage breaks and healthy habits outside the game. Moderation is key.

Content Creators:

1. Speak out against toxic behavior and ensure your audience knows it isn’t acceptable.
2. Own the mistake if you exhibit toxic behavior. You are not alone, and we all have those days. It’s important to recognize the behavior and try to grow from it.
3. Cultivate a following that is positive and welcoming.

The Organization:

1. Set clear boundaries with your players and community. Zero tolerance for harassment and toxic behavior will ultimately create a more positive culture.
2. Don’t sign toxic players. Sponsors look at this to see who is representing their brand.
3. Make sure staff are not contributing to the problem and take action if people speak up.

The Game Developer:

1. Create feedback channels for players and take action against toxicity.
2. Don’t make a game that contributes to the problem (i.e. over-sexualized, objectified female characters).
3. Create professionalism guidelines for any esports functions and hold players accountable.

By understanding toxic behaviors, we can cultivate an industry without toxicity’s influence. The problem is pervasive and inhabits many facets of our culture, but with care and attention we will triumph over it.

Sincerely,

James Cole @NTGxJames

Citations:
Gibson, K. R. (2002). Evolution of human intelligence: The roles of brain size and mental construction. Brain Behavior and Evolution, 59, 10–20.

Morris, J. S., Frith, C. D., Perrett, D. I., & Rowland, D. (1996). A differential neural response in the human amygdala to fearful and happy facial expressions. Nature, 383(6603), 812–815.