What is it about?
This article investigates how young people in Spain experience, perceive, and respond to hate speech within massively multiplayer online (MMO) gaming cultures, revealing the profiles of those who witness, perpetrate, or are targeted by online hostility. Using an extensive, representative survey of 1,436 Spanish youth aged 16–29 who engage in online gaming, the study identifies patterns of exposure, the normalization of hate, and key influences, including anonymity, impunity, and game-specific social norms.
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Why is it important?
This article is essential because it reveals how hate speech is normalized and largely unchallenged within online gaming environments among Spanish youth, despite clear recognition of its impact on vulnerable groups and the existence of regulatory efforts. The findings highlight that anonymity, impunity, and passive witnessing contribute to the spread of hostile and prejudiced messages and create gaming spaces where aggression and negative behaviors become common.
Perspectives
This article is significant for several reasons. It offers a thorough and evidence-based view of how hate speech is normalized and experienced in Spanish youth gaming culture, using a nuanced approach that segments youth into perpetrators, victims, and bystanders while highlighting the specific vulnerabilities of marginalized groups.
Prof. Elias Said-Hung
Universidad Internacional de La Rioja
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Perceptions, Profiles, and Regulatory Challenges Regarding Hate Speech in Youth Gaming Culture in Spain, Policy & Internet, July 2025, Wiley,
DOI: 10.1002/poi3.70007.
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