Two Gen Z Gamers’ Perspectives on Inclusion: Gaming’s Final Boss
“Gaming is one of my favorite ways to decompress and bond with friends and family.”
Gaming helps most adolescents feel connected and emotionally regulated. 67.9% of adolescents say gaming helps them feel connected to their friends and 52.3% say it helps them learn to handle their emotions.
Anthoney: One of the reasons I love Fall is because playing games like Stardew Valley or Minecraft feels so right. You can farm, build, fight, or explore in a low-stakes environment where you can do whatever you want with no rush. The connection and emotional regulation finding from the Teens & Screens report resonates with me because gaming is one of my favorite ways to decompress and bond with friends and family. As someone who usually prefers more action-based RPGs and survival games, I appreciate the moments when I turn to “cozier” games that better fit my mood. It definitely makes me feel connected with my friends, but also with myself and knowing what I find relaxing.
With 52.3% of adolescents reporting that gaming has helped them manage their emotions better, I find that cozy games are useful when I’m seeking a relaxing but stimulating activity that isn’t scrolling on my phone or binging shows.
Henry: I remember coming home from school through middle and high school, excited to log onto my Minecraft server. While achievements like full enchanted gear, defeating the Ender Dragon, and building megabases were no small feat, it was the community that kept me coming back each day for months.
While many think of videogames as “unproductive,” this narrative is contradicted by teens like me, who report that gaming is a place to find community and friendship, which is more important than ever in today’s challenging social atmosphere. Not only do games lay the foundation for lasting friendships, they also act as a low-pressure space where teens can open up to others about their emotions and deal with everyday stress.
Finding: Inclusion in gaming is the final boss. The majority of boy and girl gamers across racial identities feel pressure to “act a certain way” while gaming because of their gender, identity, etc. They have had to develop strategies to deal with hostile gaming environments, including consciously socially conforming, adopting gender roles, and muting their mics to hide their identity.
Henry: Beyond violent gaming content like 1v1s in the Gulag, sniper battles in Fortnite, and boss fights in Skyrim, this report reveals that these virtual battlegrounds are not the only hostile environments teen gamers are encountering. Anyone who has gamed in public lobbies knows the frustration of a demanding teammate, but this is more than that: teens sometimes feel pressured by stressful situations to act differently than themselves.
I have encountered this many times as an avid gamer. Hidden behind the anonymity of a gamertag, I have witnessed people normalizing cyberbullying, encouraging others to police behavior, or even silencing others by forcing them to quit or mute themselves. While the person on the other end may sound charismatic and say “it’s just a joke”, it’s important to remember what you stand for and censure those who put others down.
In these situations, like the teens in this report, I have always found it best to find games that support more friendly interaction. Being selective about which games you play is a great way to make sure you game in safe environments.
Anthoney Xie is a senior at UCLA and a research intern for the Center for Scholars and Storytellers. He is interested in applied research for social impact and is currently exploring co-design and storytelling to empower people through media and technology.
Henry Carter is a sophomore at UCLA and a research intern for the Center for Scholars and Storytellers. He is currently exploring media through acting in short films for the Castel Collective and scoring prospective scripts for BEA TV Committee. Henry wants to utilize storytelling to bring important issues to light in this ever-changing social world.
