Toxic gamer behavior, also known as gamer toxicity, has been present in gaming culture since before the internet era. It refers to negative attitudes and aggressive behavior displayed by some players. Toxic players often use racial slurs and offensive language toward others, creating a harmful environment for everyone involved, including teammates and opponents. An insightful article by Bryan Finck published in 2022 on Seasoned Gaming explores the psychological aspect of toxicity in gaming. The article features an interview with Shawn Riker, a licensed family therapist, who sheds light on the issue. According to Riker, one major reason toxicity is prevalent in online games is the anonymity factor. Players adopt different names or aliases, creating a sense of detachment from their real identities. This anonymity leads them to believe they can behave however they want online without consequences, as they fail to recognize the real people behind the screens. The freedom of being represented by a different name can sometimes lead to behavior that individuals would never exhibit in real life. Interestingly, when displaying toxic behavior, logical thinking often takes a backseat. Individuals in these situations tend to rely on their limbic system, which controls the fight or flight response, during stressful or challenging gameplay moments.
The article also delves into the impact of our modern society, which prioritizes instant gratification over delayed rewards. When combined with a sense of entitlement, this can contribute to toxic behavior manifesting in gamers.
Whether your child is new to gaming or an experienced player, you may encounter certain terms related to toxicity. Here is a brief glossary to help you understand the gaming jargon:
Ez/izi: This term, a misspelling of "easy," is used by players to claim that a game was exceptionally effortless to win, although that is rarely the case.
GG: An acronym for "good game," often used as a simple congratulatory phrase between players.
Noob: Short for "newcomer," this term is commonly used derogatorily to mock inexperienced players, particularly in multiplayer settings.
Rage/flame: Refers to intense anger and frustration experienced during gameplay, often leading players to hurl racial slurs or curse words at their opponents.
Try-hard: Describes an individual who invests an excessive amount of effort and emotion into their gameplay, surpassing the level of competition.
You can consult resources like the Urban Dictionary, to familiarize yourself with additional gaming terms your child uses during conversations.
Toxicity is most prevalent in online team-based matchmaking games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Fortnite, among others. These games are highly competitive and designed with winners and losers, with a balanced win-loss ratio of approximately 50%.
An article published by Recess Guardians in 2022 emphasizes the importance of children learning to experience both victory and defeat. Winning and losing provide valuable opportunities for teaching children appropriate actions and reactions. These experiences shape their goals and motivations, particularly in sports and gaming. Children driven by mastery goals, aiming to learn and improve, are more likely to benefit from both winning and losing. Winning instills a sense of accomplishment, reinforcing their efforts, while losing motivates them to work harder and enhance their skills. It is crucial to teach children that losing is not the end of the world and that second chances are part of life.
When children start playing games or participating in sports, they may struggle to manage winning and losing gracefully. Winning can lead to boastful behavior, while losing often triggers irritation, anger, and even toxic behavior. One effective way to address this is by discussing the lessons of winning and losing with your child, particularly in the context of gaming. Understanding that winning and losing are integral parts of the gaming experience helps.
Possible reasons for toxic behavior
As you know children often learn how to behave from others, and you are their model citizen. How you behave in certain situations or sports functions can influence how your child behaves. If they see you yelling at a coach or a player at a sporting event, it sends a bad example to your child and normalizes toxic behavior.
A good tip to teach your child when gaming and experiencing toxic behavior from someone either on their own team or from their opponents is to mute them. Muting teammates or opponents at the start of the game can make things a bit more challenging in terms of communication, but your child should still be able to interact with them and say what they need to say. Your child will just not be able to see what they reply. This tip is especially good when your child is playing with or against someone they don't know. Also, by muting as soon as the game starts, your child can prevent themselves from being affected by the toxic behavior. Experiencing toxic behavior can greatly affect someone's mentality, causing them to perform poorly. However, be mindful that when a teammate or an opponent is muted, they sometimes send a friend request after the game. That friend request might seem harmless, but if accepted, they can chat with your child and often use the opportunity to be toxic and rage.
Here is a list of common phrases toxic players are known to use and what they mean:
GG, izi noob - This usage of GG means the opposite. This means the player felt the game was easily won, and the other player played like a newcomer.
Ez game - This means that the player felt like the game very easily won.
You are such a noob - An insult implying you are a newcomer who recently started playing the game.
Noob, you are such a try-hard - Another insult implying that you are not a skillful player and are likely spending a lot of effort to win the game.
These few examples are only a fraction of the things players often say when irritated and placing blame on others. They use curse words to emphasize their frustration, anger, and irritation. Toxic gamers like to use the phrase izi as it often hits a sensitive spot and sparks a reaction from the individual on the receiving end. However, very few games are izi, those trying to win a game are not necessarily try-hards, and those who lose are not noobs.
It is important for you to understand that video games play a big part in children´s social life. They often play online with friends and classmates, and their games are often conversation topics at school. Video games provide entertainment and a chance to strengthen friendships. Gaming can test relationships between friends, like handling a stressful situation in a team-based game, but it can also be common ground and team building in a way. Because video games are a big part of children´s social life, they can get quite passionate about it. If a game is going well and your child is having fun, that passion will be visible through smiles, laughter, and overall enjoyment. However, if your child is doing badly in a game, that passion can lead to anger, frustration, and gamer rage.
There can be a multitude of reasons why your child loses a game. Your child´s teammates might be playing one of their worst games of the day, or your child´s opponents might be playing one of their best. That is the struggle of matchmaking in online team-based games such as Fortnite or League of Legends. You never know when or why someone is having a bad game. You should teach your child that even though someone on their team or themselves are having a bad game, that does not mean they are bad overall. Everyone has good and bad days, but they do not reflect overall skills in gaming. Still, in the heat of the moment, it can be difficult to realize it and blame others. When your child loses a game, or a planned action in the game does not go according to plan, it will most likely result in negative feelings, which produce negative emotions. You should discuss those moments with your child and teach them how to react best. Their go-to behavior will likely result in toxic behavior, such as name-calling or curse words targeted at teammates or opponents. If you notice your child displaying toxic behavior, you should ask your child if they want their first instinct to be to rage on the internet and cast bad words at others, which benefits no one, or if they want to focus on themselves and become better players because of it.
It is critical to check in with your child when they are playing with their friends online. Even though they might be close friends, they might get into altercations or have miscommunication in a critical moment in-game. Especially if you overhear or your child tells you that bad words were said and a verbal altercation happened. In that situation, you should find out who the other child is, have a light chat with their parents, and try to set up an in-person meet-up if the altercation is serious. You should help your child resolve that kind of conflict as soon as possible and on the best terms, as it can spiral into cyberbullying in the worst situations.
Children do not have the emotional maturity to make amends, so you, as a parent, are responsible for teaching your child how to handle such situations. You can ask your child if they want to be a negative or a positive leader or to push others down or pull them up. This can give them a better idea of what toxic behavior can lead to and why it is not a good reaction. It can be beneficial to bring up the golden rule in conversations with your child. The golden rule is to treat others how you want to be treated. This plays into your child´s empathy. Empathy can help your child deal with situations involving gamer toxicity in-game and in life. Your child will be more skilled in seeing things from the other person´s perspective and less likely to get involved with toxicity.
It might sound straightforward, but it is important that you remind your child not to participate in online toxic behavior. Nothing good comes out of it, only hurt feelings, damaged self-esteem, and frustration. You will not be able to monitor them and the people they communicate with all the time, but you can prepare and teach them how to behave online and when to reach out to you for assistance and guidance. By having open conversations with them and educating them about handling toxic situations, you enforce the trust that your child has in you and prove that they can reach out to you if needed. If your child is enrolled in an esports training program, it is important for you to emphasize that they can also reach out to their coach if they experience toxic situations. Esports Coaching Academy partners with organizations such as NewMeta and GoGaming, where ECA-certified coaches are taught how to manage toxicity in online environments.
Toxic gamer behavior, also known as gamer toxicity, has been present in gaming culture since before the internet era. It refers to negative attitudes and aggressive behavior displayed by some players. Toxic players often use racial slurs and offensive language toward others, creating a harmful environment for everyone involved, including teammates and opponents. An insightful article by Bryan Finck published in 2022 on Seasoned Gaming explores the psychological aspect of toxicity in gaming. The article features an interview with Shawn Riker, a licensed family therapist, who sheds light on the issue. According to Riker, one major reason toxicity is prevalent in online games is the anonymity factor. Players adopt different names or aliases, creating a sense of detachment from their real identities. This anonymity leads them to believe they can behave however they want online without consequences, as they fail to recognize the real people behind the screens. The freedom of being represented by a different name can sometimes lead to behavior that individuals would never exhibit in real life. Interestingly, when displaying toxic behavior, logical thinking often takes a backseat. Individuals in these situations tend to rely on their limbic system, which controls the fight or flight response, during stressful or challenging gameplay moments.
The article also delves into the impact of our modern society, which prioritizes instant gratification over delayed rewards. When combined with a sense of entitlement, this can contribute to toxic behavior manifesting in gamers.
Whether your child is new to gaming or an experienced player, you may encounter certain terms related to toxicity. Here is a brief glossary to help you understand the gaming jargon:
Ez/izi: This term, a misspelling of "easy," is used by players to claim that a game was exceptionally effortless to win, although that is rarely the case.
GG: An acronym for "good game," often used as a simple congratulatory phrase between players.
Noob: Short for "newcomer," this term is commonly used derogatorily to mock inexperienced players, particularly in multiplayer settings.
Rage/flame: Refers to intense anger and frustration experienced during gameplay, often leading players to hurl racial slurs or curse words at their opponents.
Try-hard: Describes an individual who invests an excessive amount of effort and emotion into their gameplay, surpassing the level of competition.
You can consult resources like the Urban Dictionary, to familiarize yourself with additional gaming terms your child uses during conversations.
Toxicity is most prevalent in online team-based matchmaking games such as League of Legends, Dota 2, Counter-Strike: Global Offensive, and Fortnite, among others. These games are highly competitive and designed with winners and losers, with a balanced win-loss ratio of approximately 50%.
An article published by Recess Guardians in 2022 emphasizes the importance of children learning to experience both victory and defeat. Winning and losing provide valuable opportunities for teaching children appropriate actions and reactions. These experiences shape their goals and motivations, particularly in sports and gaming. Children driven by mastery goals, aiming to learn and improve, are more likely to benefit from both winning and losing. Winning instills a sense of accomplishment, reinforcing their efforts, while losing motivates them to work harder and enhance their skills. It is crucial to teach children that losing is not the end of the world and that second chances are part of life.
When children start playing games or participating in sports, they may struggle to manage winning and losing gracefully. Winning can lead to boastful behavior, while losing often triggers irritation, anger, and even toxic behavior. One effective way to address this is by discussing the lessons of winning and losing with your child, particularly in the context of gaming. Understanding that winning and losing are integral parts of the gaming experience helps.
Possible reasons for toxic behavior
As you know children often learn how to behave from others, and you are their model citizen. How you behave in certain situations or sports functions can influence how your child behaves. If they see you yelling at a coach or a player at a sporting event, it sends a bad example to your child and normalizes toxic behavior.
A good tip to teach your child when gaming and experiencing toxic behavior from someone either on their own team or from their opponents is to mute them. Muting teammates or opponents at the start of the game can make things a bit more challenging in terms of communication, but your child should still be able to interact with them and say what they need to say. Your child will just not be able to see what they reply. This tip is especially good when your child is playing with or against someone they don't know. Also, by muting as soon as the game starts, your child can prevent themselves from being affected by the toxic behavior. Experiencing toxic behavior can greatly affect someone's mentality, causing them to perform poorly. However, be mindful that when a teammate or an opponent is muted, they sometimes send a friend request after the game. That friend request might seem harmless, but if accepted, they can chat with your child and often use the opportunity to be toxic and rage.
Here is a list of common phrases toxic players are known to use and what they mean:
GG, izi noob - This usage of GG means the opposite. This means the player felt the game was easily won, and the other player played like a newcomer.
Ez game - This means that the player felt like the game very easily won.
You are such a noob - An insult implying you are a newcomer who recently started playing the game.
Noob, you are such a try-hard - Another insult implying that you are not a skillful player and are likely spending a lot of effort to win the game.
These few examples are only a fraction of the things players often say when irritated and placing blame on others. They use curse words to emphasize their frustration, anger, and irritation. Toxic gamers like to use the phrase izi as it often hits a sensitive spot and sparks a reaction from the individual on the receiving end. However, very few games are izi, those trying to win a game are not necessarily try-hards, and those who lose are not noobs.
It is important for you to understand that video games play a big part in children´s social life. They often play online with friends and classmates, and their games are often conversation topics at school. Video games provide entertainment and a chance to strengthen friendships. Gaming can test relationships between friends, like handling a stressful situation in a team-based game, but it can also be common ground and team building in a way. Because video games are a big part of children´s social life, they can get quite passionate about it. If a game is going well and your child is having fun, that passion will be visible through smiles, laughter, and overall enjoyment. However, if your child is doing badly in a game, that passion can lead to anger, frustration, and gamer rage.
There can be a multitude of reasons why your child loses a game. Your child´s teammates might be playing one of their worst games of the day, or your child´s opponents might be playing one of their best. That is the struggle of matchmaking in online team-based games such as Fortnite or League of Legends. You never know when or why someone is having a bad game. You should teach your child that even though someone on their team or themselves are having a bad game, that does not mean they are bad overall. Everyone has good and bad days, but they do not reflect overall skills in gaming. Still, in the heat of the moment, it can be difficult to realize it and blame others. When your child loses a game, or a planned action in the game does not go according to plan, it will most likely result in negative feelings, which produce negative emotions. You should discuss those moments with your child and teach them how to react best. Their go-to behavior will likely result in toxic behavior, such as name-calling or curse words targeted at teammates or opponents. If you notice your child displaying toxic behavior, you should ask your child if they want their first instinct to be to rage on the internet and cast bad words at others, which benefits no one, or if they want to focus on themselves and become better players because of it.
It is critical to check in with your child when they are playing with their friends online. Even though they might be close friends, they might get into altercations or have miscommunication in a critical moment in-game. Especially if you overhear or your child tells you that bad words were said and a verbal altercation happened. In that situation, you should find out who the other child is, have a light chat with their parents, and try to set up an in-person meet-up if the altercation is serious. You should help your child resolve that kind of conflict as soon as possible and on the best terms, as it can spiral into cyberbullying in the worst situations.
Children do not have the emotional maturity to make amends, so you, as a parent, are responsible for teaching your child how to handle such situations. You can ask your child if they want to be a negative or a positive leader or to push others down or pull them up. This can give them a better idea of what toxic behavior can lead to and why it is not a good reaction. It can be beneficial to bring up the golden rule in conversations with your child. The golden rule is to treat others how you want to be treated. This plays into your child´s empathy. Empathy can help your child deal with situations involving gamer toxicity in-game and in life. Your child will be more skilled in seeing things from the other person´s perspective and less likely to get involved with toxicity.
It might sound straightforward, but it is important that you remind your child not to participate in online toxic behavior. Nothing good comes out of it, only hurt feelings, damaged self-esteem, and frustration. You will not be able to monitor them and the people they communicate with all the time, but you can prepare and teach them how to behave online and when to reach out to you for assistance and guidance. By having open conversations with them and educating them about handling toxic situations, you enforce the trust that your child has in you and prove that they can reach out to you if needed. If your child is enrolled in an esports training program, it is important for you to emphasize that they can also reach out to their coach if they experience toxic situations. Esports Coaching Academy partners with organizations such as NewMeta and GoGaming, where ECA-certified coaches are taught how to manage toxicity in online environments.