Before Gamescom starts: Bullying on the Internet: Study shows rough tone among gamers

Anyone who spends a lot of time gaming on a console or computer is often exposed to hostility and insults. A survey of 1,203 gamers conducted by the Bertelsmann Foundation revealed that 38 percent of them were insulted "very or fairly frequently" while gaming. One-third of these so-called gaming enthusiasts said this happened rarely or very rarely, while the rest had never experienced it. The survey involved people who consider themselves gamers and play several times a week. Including casual gamers and other gamers—a total of 4,527 respondents—14 percent were insulted very or fairly frequently.

A large proportion of those affected experience bullying while gaming. Threats include physical violence and rape. Some female gamers even pretend to be male in multiplayer games to avoid discrimination. Antisemitic views are quite prevalent: 43 percent of gaming enthusiasts agreed with the statement that Jews have too much influence in the world. Among all gamers surveyed, this figure was lower at 26 percent. Homophobia and antifeminism were also relatively widespread among intensive gamers.

"Gaming communities reflect many of society's problems as a whole," says Jessica Gerke, youth expert at the Bertelsmann Foundation. It's important to pay more attention to gaming communities. "Because this increases the chance of helping affected young people and countering anti-democratic tendencies." Educational institutions, educators, youth welfare services, and families are called upon to create safe spaces and strengthen the voice of opposition.

The online survey, conducted in March, involved 6,435 internet users between the ages of 16 and 89. About two-thirds of them reported playing games. The gamers were also asked about their political preferences. However, the responses did not differ significantly from opinion polls of the general population.

Another finding of the study is that loneliness is quite prevalent among gamers. While 43 percent of all respondents – including non-gamers – are moderately or severely lonely, this figure is 58 percent among gaming enthusiasts. The stereotype that gamers are predominantly young and male is at least partially confirmed. According to the survey, three-quarters of those who consider themselves gamers and play several times a week are men, and 55 percent of them are between 16 and 34 years old.

It's also striking that gaming enthusiasts participate in political debates or demonstrate political interest more frequently than average, for example, by participating in petition drives or making political comments on social media channels. According to the survey, 27 percent of gaming enthusiasts participated in a demonstration in the previous twelve months, compared to an average of only 14 percent for the general population.

"Gaming communities are anything but apolitical," says Bertelsmann expert Joachim Rother. "For many young people, they are important channels for political opinion-forming and help them learn democratic rules." However, such communities have often been overlooked or not taken seriously enough. "It's time to harness the democratic potential of gaming communities."

Gamescom , the world's largest trade fair for video and computer games, will take place in Cologne from Wednesday to Sunday. Hundreds of thousands of gaming fans are expected once again. An opening show was already scheduled for Tuesday evening, and the gates to the fair will open on Wednesday morning.

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