Most Australian teens and tweens play video games, with many reporting that gaming makes them feel happy and provides relief from tough times. With gaming platforms exempt from the impending social media ban for under 16s, RMIT experts unpack how these platforms and the rise of gaming influencers can reinforce gender norms and spread damaging content, highlighting the need for parental vigilance and ongoing research.
Dr Lauren Gurrieri, Associate Professor in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing
"Influencers have wide cultural authority, acting as 'everyday celebrities' whose behaviours and attitudes hold immense power in how they shape the worldviews of their audiences.
"Followers of these gaming influencers can feel like they've a strong personal connection with them - even though the relationship is often very one-sided. This misplaced sense of 'knowing' the influencer gives the influencer even more power to influence.
"Much of the gaming influencer content, especially on platforms such as YouTube, YouTube Kids, and Twitch, is targeted at tween boys. This content can reinforce harmful gender norms, and social media algorithms can promote harmful content.
"How gaming influencers communicate gender norms through this content is a potential cultural driver of sexism and violence against girls and women within and outside of gaming contexts.
"eSafety research showed a fifth of teen gamers had seen or heard other players share or use hate speech, and just over one in 10 had heard other players expressing or sharing misogynistic ideas relating to men's superiority over women.
"By looking into parents' and tween boys' experiences of online gaming, and promoting positive and respectful behaviours, we have the potential to prevent Australia's about 800,000 tween boys from embracing harmful gender norms that can lead to the tech-based abuse of women."
Dr Gurrieri's research project, 'Gendered Norms and Gaming Influencers: Promoting positive and respectful gaming for 'tween' boys' has been awarded an eSafety Commissioner grant in the latest round of 'Preventing Tech-Based Abuse of Women Grants Program' - an Australian Government initiative.
Dr Lauren Gurrieri is an Associate Professor in the School of Economics, Finance and Marketing at RMIT University. Her research examines gender, consumption and the marketplace, with a focus on gendered inequalities in consumer and digital cultures.
Professor Lisa Given, Professor of Information Sciences and Director, Centre for Human-AI Information Environments
"Although gaming platforms are not considered age-restricted platforms under Australia's Social Media Minimum Age law, gaming environments can also present potentially harmful content.
"In September, popular game-creation platform Roblox (which has 380 million users globally, many of them children) announced new safety restrictions and controls for its platform to address potential harms such as grooming.
"With young people unable to access accounts on some social media platforms once the new legislation launches, we may see more children accessing other platforms - like gaming - to engage online.
"This means parents and other carers need to be vigilant in knowing what content their children are exposed to, on what platforms, and provide guidance and support for on how to navigate gaming and other online spaces safely."
Professor Lisa Given is Professor of Information Sciences and Director of the Centre for Human-AI Information Environments at RMIT University. Her research examines people's use of technologies, across all ages, including how young people and adults engage with social media, artificial intelligence tools, and other digital platforms.
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