There is no other way to put it; the online gaming world can be an extremely toxic environment. From verbal bullying and swearing, to cases of racism, sexism, and worse. It can make online gaming extremely unpleasant, and even put players off it good.
What is it about online gaming and social media that breeds this behavior, and is there anything that can be done about it? For the most part, don’t despair, there are ways to block the negative communication that occurs, so you need not give up your favorite hobby.
Anonymity And High Stress
The one thing that the internet has given everyone is the gift of anonymity. Being faceless, and with there being almost zero repercussion for bad behaviour, many gamers have an excuse to behave badly. In almost all cases it is simply a case of someone having dubious fun at the expense of others, but this doesn’t mean the behaviour does not cause hurt feelings.
In other cases it is a case of the competitive nature of a game getting the better of a players emotions, and them expressing frustration. Hence, the most competitive games online are well known for having highly toxic online communities.
Strangely, however, games such as Dark Souls, one of the most notoriously challenging, is also known to have one of the most tolerant and accepting communities. Much like those who share tips about live AFL betting, there is a real community feel.
What To Do About Toxic Gamers
The vast majority of online games allow players to block the voice communication of other players. It is normally simply a matter of selecting the player, and selecting to mute them. This will immediately stop all voice communication from that player.
Muting them will not, of course, stop them from behaving badly in the game, but many games also allow a vote to be cast to kick a player. Look for an option to vote to have a player kicked in the options menu. Be sure to keep in mind, however, that kicking a player from a game should be a last resort. Asking a player to behave nicely should always be the first step.
Choose Your Game Wisely
It does seem to be the case that certain games tend to breed bad behaviour, or attract gamers of a certain mentality. These games can simply be avoided, since there are many online games that have great communities. For the most part.
Almost every game online has at least a few poorly behaved players, but they tend to be the exception, and not the rule. In most cases simply ignoring one badly behaved player is enough to make them reconsider their behavior.
Be sure to also keep in mind that in many modern games that a badly behaved player can be reported, if they continue to be disruptive to the experience of playing a game. Again, reporting a player should be a last resort, since they may get permanently kicked from the game, and never allowed back in. Some deserve it, others just need to be kept in check.
