Abstract
In this study, we examine young people’s self-reported negative (“toxic”) online gaming conduct via a qualitative survey (N = 95) of active game players aged 15–25 in Finland. Drawing from young people’s lived experiences, we present negative gaming conduct as a complex whole, stemming from a combination of online disinhibition, affective intensity, game cultural conduct norms, and individual preferences. We explore online gaming environments as spaces with different technological and communicative affordances. In this study, we demonstrate how not all negative gaming conduct is equal in intent or outcome and introduce the concept of banal toxicity: outwardly hostile but routine conduct that lacks emotional intensity and serves little strategic purpose yet is conducive to an overall social landscape of negativity.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Journal | Social Media and Society |
| Volume | 10 |
| Issue number | 3 |
| DOIs | |
| Publication status | Published - 2024 |
| Publication type | A1 Journal article-refereed |
Funding
This study was funded by the City of Helsinki Youth Services project Non-toxic—non-discriminatory gaming culture and the Research Council of Finland project Center of Excellence in Game Culture Studies (CoE-GameCult, grants 353265 and 353267).
Publication forum classification
- Publication forum level 2
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