2022 study on sexism and harassment in games reports that 48% of all users who play video games are women, and nearly 40% of these women have experienced some form of harassment online It has been. Another study in 2018 found that this led to people disguising their gender online, communicating with other players in-game, and even quitting altogether.
Gaming is seen as a male-dominated hobby and industry, but more women are also taking an interest in gaming. are some of the highest users. And while this change is showing up in the rise of female streamers and professional gamers, some men are turning to gatekeeping the women who love the game and have become successful. .
More female representatives, professionals, players and fans were introduced to the mainstream gaming world. YouTube gamer Jamie Manalo is one of many female creators who are just beginning to share their knowledge, expertise and love of gaming.
Adhesion method
“I’ve been playing games ever since Nagka Murray Ako,” said Jamie.
Growing up in a household where gaming was synonymous with family bonding, she was hooked on the screen as soon as she picked up the controller. When she grew up, her family owned her computer shop and arcade her business, which now manufactures gaming computers. As Jamie honed her gameplay skills, she gained thousands of hours of experience. Amid her pandemic, she decided to start her YouTube channel to share her own gameplay. “With more talk of ‘Krinji’ and ‘Bano’ gamer girls in 2020, I wanted to show people that naman, who can be a girl, can be a taraga,” she said.
She also wanted people to see how she played and how her experiences shaped her approach to the game. Played over and people all over the world started recognizing her skills.
Despite this, she was still exiled. Turning on the mic to talk to her teammates, she was called “weak” or “takutin” (scary cat). “Sasabihin nila na ‘babae ka lang,’ kaya I try to play better than them,” she said.
counterattack
After a particularly exhausting match against a misogynistic teammate, Jamie decided to stop speaking into the microphone altogether, preventing him from delivering callouts and only using the chat feature. I stopped playing for 3 months, which made me even more disappointed. But when she did, even if she had to do it through a chat box, she took on an assertive leadership role and became even more determined to contribute to the team with greater dynamism. Become. Sure, it’s easier now and you can make a name for yourself by filming some good clips, but even popular streamers are hated. It’s strange how you suddenly switch when you recognize the ,” she said.
Young girls may be reluctant to lean into their true interests, but Jamie insists it’s important to fight back against misogyny. You deserve to be there, just like they do,” she said.
Jamie said his skills and experience have helped him fight back against insulting comments, but that can be even more difficult for girls and women who see gaming as a source of fun and entertainment. Abby Gapusan describes herself as a casual gamer. I don’t consider myself a professional,” she said. She says, “I play to spend time with my friends, but sometimes I don’t take the game seriously.”
She said that playing has always been associated with fun, but sometimes games are ruined because of toxic teammates. and discouraged her from playing the game again for at least a few days.
“Kapag gan’on, I’ll mute or block them. I usually avoid such players at all costs, but I’ll fight back or perform poorly just for the guy to shut up. I have a friend who really improves things,” she said.
double the burden
Abby believes gender norms are to blame for this kind of behavior. Because children are taught that video games are only for boys, some think that only non-heterosexual women can enjoy the games. I think they’re used to being targeted, and if you don’t and play games, I think they’re tibo na kaagad,” she said.
For women who have just started playing games as a hobby, it may be even more difficult to break through the wall of intimidation in front of them.
From Erin Munsayac’s point of view, being a new casual gamer has doubled the burden for her gender. “Not only is there pressure to not understand the technical stuff well enough, but there is also pressure to perform better to prove that you deserve to play,” she said. I was.
Additionally, when you turn on your mic to communicate with your teammates, you find yourself testing your teammates’ moods and general acceptance of female gamers before speaking further. After encountering a lot of sexual comments, she learned that her community in the Philippines was riddled with sexual harassment. “Yeah, they look harmless at first, but they cross that line quickly,” she said.
Experiencing comments like this is exhausting for her, and she feels the need to reach out to other female gamer friends for support. “You can mute [sexist players] You can report it, but there is no guarantee that you will be penalized,” she said. When such events occur, she reduces her playing time, but she doesn’t want to be deterred from doing what she loves. “I don’t want to quit just to avoid creepy men,” she said. “It’s a daily interaction to be harassed by male gamers who don’t know what it’s like. Members should take action by yesterday.” — Contributed by INQ
The author is a sophomore in AB Communication at Ateneo de Manila University.