ABSTRACT
Video games are an integral part of 21st-century culture, playing a fundamental role in the daily lives of children and youth. The influence of games and the concept of gamification have become unavoidable in the construction of values, standards, and behaviors among young people. Nonetheless, the gaming ambiance has proved to be a fertile media field for the growth of cyberhate in recent decades. In this study, we analyze this phenomenon from two perspectives: the way in which young people experience cyberhate and the impact it has on their everyday lives, pointing out strategies that can counteract it. To this end, a questionnaire was designed and applied in six schools in three European countries, with a sample of 572 children and young people. The statistical analysis and the correlation between variables allowed research on the relationship between adolescents and video games, focusing on the exposure, victimization, and practice of cyberhate. The results relate exposure to hate speech with the tendency to practice it and point to consequences in the daily life of young people. Our findings underline the need to develop a media literacy program, namely, in video games, using gamification, to train and prepare children and youth for a healthier digital life.
