Are some gamers/geeks susceptible to be recruited by far-right ideology?

[Lime]

This was passing the rounds on Twitter via a comment on a Polygon article and it made me think of how many 'gamers' or people who are enthusiastic about video games have fallen prey to far-right ideology and their messages:

This is a good comment about the link between the nerd community and white nationalism from an article on Polygon.

You have an obnoxious amount of white male gamers doing angry low-budget youtube videos where they yell and spit into a webcamera about feminist illuminati and SJWs; you have many online communities where bigotry is encouraged (e.g. RPGCodex); you have popular Youtubers like JonTron and Pewdiepie doing dumb nazi shit and racist jokes; you have online game chats filled with racist and sexist garbage; and of course you have the irrational response to women saying anything that rocks the boat (Zoe Quinn and Anita Sarkeesian as the most obvious examples). In the wake of Gamergate, I feel as if a lot of otherwise well-meaning people were more than fine with being in the company of MRAs, white supremacists, neo-nazis, and their ilk, and then have them run into the arms of this type of oppressive and toxic ideology.

It's as if geek masculinity is so fragile that when some buttons are pushed and some questions are asked, they run into the arms of neo-nazis and white nationalists to feel safe and secure from the groups who are asking questions about representation of women in games, employment opportunities as a minority, the toxic culture of gaming communities, and so forth. As Sarah Nyberg tweeted:

 

[pashmilla]

Considering Gamergate I'm gonna go with yes

 

[Goldenroad]

I imagine some percentage of every group of people is susceptible to this.

 

[Velkyn]

Yeah, I saw this on twitter as well. It absolutely makes sense if you think of neonazi ideology the same as a cult. Cults have been preying on the weak and troubled people in society forever, so why should people in this hobby be any exception?

 

[Frozenprince]

See gamergate and what happened to 4chan and it's a pretty resounding yes tbh. "Social outcasts" are always more susceptible to this kind of radicalization.

 

[Izuna]

Thought I had screen burn for a moment

 

[gigantor21]

Considering Gamergate I'm gonna go with yes

Indeed.

Gamergate merely exposed a deeper rot in the community that has lurked beneath the surface for years.

 

[Aeana]

 

[The Spoony Hou]

Some gamer/geeks are susceptible, like any group of people. Though it might be a bit larger than average within the gamer/geek sect because there's many who spend too much time at home and have a less than ideal sense of reality.

 

[20cent]

I've heard that some neonazis wear socks. It seems that socks manufacturing companies tied to extreme right movements are recruiting socks-wearing desperate people.

At this point everyone like "geek" stuff and videogames, youll find all sorts of people there...

 

[Mostlypainless]

People who are susceptible play games, but they surely didn't become susceptible from playing video games.

 

[Dylan]

Some gamer/geeks are susceptible, like any group of people. Though it might be a bit larger than average within the gamer/geek sect because there's many who spend too much time at home and have a less than ideal sense of reality.

Hmm. This sounds harsh but is probably true.

 

[shandy706]

Threads like this make me realize I only barely skim the surface of game circles and the internet. Like not even putting my toes in...just skimming across the top like a smooth stone.

I wouldn't even know where to go to get recruited for something....or even contacted to, lol.

 

[george_us]

Considering Gamergate I'm gonna go with yes

Agreed.

Ironic to think that a media that's supposed to be know for creative freedom more or less went down this path.

 

[60EffPeeEss]

Threads like this make me realize I only barely skim the surface of game circles and the internet. Like not even putting my toes in...just skimming across the top like a smooth stone.

I wouldn't even know where to go to get recruited for something....or even contacted to, lol.

There's no recruitment, its just memetics. People taking on the mantle of anothers ideology and pursuing it themselves.

 

[Catshade]

I'm not so sure... did white nationalist movements in the 70s and 80s contain a disproportionate numbers of D&D players or comic book geeks or Star Trek/Wars fans?

 

[shanafan]

Unfortunately, racism filled and hate speech from all groups online/voice chats have been around for years, way before PewDiePew and JonTron, and even YouTube. Halo 2 anyone?

I can even remember days of file sharing over BB on the Commodore 64, and dealing with such.

It's just the idea that you are behind a wall whether it's a computer screen or a microphone, and the feeling of protection that you can say whatever you want. There has been regulation to help suspend/ban accounts of said abusers, but it still continues.

Probably mainly why I always play my MP games without voice chat. I don't want to hear/deal with it.

 

[Aaronrules380]

I'm not so sure... did white nationalist movements in the 70s and 80s contain a disproportionate numbers of D&D players or comic book geeks or Star Trek/Wars fans?

I mean, for one thing D&D players by default needed to have actual, real world friends, which is not necessarily a requirement for gaming

 

[compo]

When have the majority of gamers/geeks not been far right? They're just receiving validation from the outside world now, so they're starting to speak up more.

 

[The Spoony Hou]

Hmm. This sounds harsh but is probably true.

Yeah, I might be, but having physical contact with other people is way more valuable than online contact. But there's also many cultural characteristics that have to be taken in consideration. Many people who will naturally isolate themselves from others will find solace in games and minimal online interactions, which might cause for gamers to be a bit more susceptible as a consequence.

 

[Akuun]

Probably at least partly true. I think a lot of people who spend most of their time in online communities and isolated from the real world tend to be easily radicalized, one way or another. They find their own echo chambers and then just stay in them.

A lot of subreddits are like this. They find one issue, then blame everyone's problems on that one thing. The subreddit then grows full of self-righteous, arrogant assholes who all ignore all of their own shortcomings because they can blame everything on that one thing.

 

[Doc_Drop]

I'm not so sure... did white nationalist movements in the 70s and 80s contain a disproportionate numbers of D&D players or comic book geeks or Star Trek/Wars fans?

Was the Internet, social media, or YouTube around then?

The interconnectivity we have now is very different from what was around then

 

[lome88]

Agreed.

Ironic to think that a media that's supposed to be know for creative freedom more or less went down this path.

That's the weird dichotomy that goes along with creative freedom. I've been a musician most of my life and you'd think that most people that work with music are pretty progressive, liberal people but I'd say it's about a 50/50 split. Mediums that are known for creativity and expression can be just as liberating for right-thinking folks as they are for their counterparts on the left.

The problem becomes when those creative expressions turn into actions. The gamergate stuff is a good example of this.

 

[Nibel]

..I think I'll go with yes, OP

 

[Deleted member 1235]

i think any long term adult virgin males whose primary social interactions are via a screen are probably susceptible to this. years of sexual frustration followed up with 'women are shit (ps so are minorities)' type agenda mixed with 'understanding' from a similar bunch of losers and yeah, vote for trump!

 

[Ferr986]

Yes. People that disagree is lying to themselves because we share a hobby with this guys. But hobbies like games, comics, anime... tend to have a lot of people that was isolated from the real world and think they're the victims, hence being a weak prey for alt-right hate messages.

Must resist comment about the avatar...

 

[Taliban Stan]

I don't think playing video games makes you immune to any idealogy other than one about video games being dumb, studpid, and a waste of time.

A lot of subreddits are like this. They find one issue, then blame everyone's problems on that one thing. The subreddit then grows full of self-righteous, arrogant assholes who all ignore all of their own shortcomings because they can blame everything on that one thing.

You've just described like most communites that exist and have existed throughout human history.

 

[ar4757]

You probably can't handle any right-leaning gamers, not just far-right. Neogaf is a bubble

 

[Human Trashcan]

People who are susceptible play games, but they surely didn't become susceptible from playing video games.

That's not what's being argued.

The point is that a disproportionate number of people who are part of online gaming communities (so not just "anyone who plays games") have turned to fascist ideology for any of a number of reasons, but like the OP says, mostly because it shields them from even the most cursory, inoffensive self-examination, like asking questions such as "are women represented well in gaming". Because to a lot of people, criticism of something they like sounds awfully similar to a condemnation of them as people for liking said things (even though that isn't true and FemFreq states at the beginning of every video "it's fine to like problematic things").

 

[ViolentP]

I don't think gamers are any more susceptible than anyone else. In the end, it's our responsibility to educate ourselves. Those that don't look to others to educate them.

 

[dr_octagon]

Susceptible is the proper terms in my opinion. Making parallesl to Nazism is very emotive. Radicalised carries its own religious connotations.

It's not to say the far right cannot recruit through these means but it happens across the spectrum. You have other reasons such as political influence, monetary (corporate and indivudal level), psych exercise, general cliques / pranks and building up a reputation at the cost of other people's emotional well being. I'd like to think I can spot the signs and avoid all of this but I try not to belittle people who are more vulnerable to following a bad crowd.

It can be very difficult to acknowledge that one's own thinking is falling in line with another group's own agenda. The trap is easy to fall into and talking to people like adults and engaging in conversation is vital to ensure we don't end up just having (more) labels or arguments which are just soundbites (such as -gate).

Collectively, we have a responsibility (irrespective of it being an online community) to keep things constructive and encouraging discourse. Nobody should play up right wing ideology because it's racist but you can break an argument down in a logical and senible manner. The trap of falling into 'them' and 'us' is not making things easier because every individual has something to say. There can be nuance and multiple coherent ways to counter something we disagree with and we should listen to everyone and respond accordingly.

 

[MysteryQuesadilla]

Yep. Unfortunately, a large number of those that actively play video games have a tendency to isolate themselves online which leads to them not interacting face-to-face with other humans with opinions that differ from their own.Yes, I am generalizing.

 

[Chao]

I've heard that some neonazis wear socks. It seems that socks manufacturing companies tied to extreme right movements are recruiting socks-wearing desperate people.

At this point everyone like "geek" stuff and videogames, youll find all sorts of people there...

This. OP is basically saying "gamers, which are a huge group of people considering is the biggest entertainment industry of the world in 2017, may include some individuals with far right ideologies"

As with any large group of people.

And even then, most of them are guaranteed to be just dumb kids who like to troll on the Internet.

 

[The Technomancer]

I came in here to post the Polygon comment

Yes absolutely, this is true with geek culture in general I think. Any sort of subculture that fancies itself as a victim of oppression while not suffering under actual structural oppression is ripe for conversion into reactionary ideology.

 

[bobs...onGaf]

There's absolutely a correlation between gamers and people who are reclusive/ use the internet to socialise/ troll

And I think there's a link between most online communities that have that troll mindset and fascism

It wouldn't surprise me if a kid grew up with poor social skills so used 4chan to socialise and then slowly the constant casual racism thrown around on there embedded something deeper into them


Of course there are many gamers who have perfectly healthy social lives or more balanced online lives but for sure it's easy to see how it happens to some people

 

[Kthulhu]

I'd say yes. I don't think the vast majority of gamers/geeks are right wingers, most seem to fall on the left side of the political spectrum (at least here in the US).

 

[Zakalwe]

Young impressionable males (especially white) are being radicalised all over online. They're having their insecurities used against them to manipulate their ideals, and their anger and bitterness is being directed at people who threaten the privilege because they perceive "equality" as "oppression".

Gaming is ripe for this as many gamers are more reclusive and nerdy by nature, and easy prey.

 

[danmaku]

Some gamer/geeks are susceptible, like any group of people. Though it might be a bit larger than average within the gamer/geek sect because there's many who spend too much time at home and have a less than ideal sense of reality.

Even if this was true, that would make gamers to be more susceptible to any kind of propaganda, not just extreme right.

 

[Wolfgunblood Garopa]

I think it's more about young people on the internet. Just the way they communicate on the internet is conducive to ironically participating in or accepting alt right beliefs (for shock or comedic value, a sense of belonging to something 'new', etc.).

 

[jph139]

Was the Internet, social media, or YouTube around then?

The interconnectivity we have now is very different from what was around then

Yeah, the world has changed completely. The Klan wasn't knocking on doors asking if guys collecting X-Men comics wanted to join the cause. Now? Build a website and they'll find a way there.

I think the whole "ironic bigotry that stops being ironic" shtick that 4chan has is a big part of it. Like, even if you're not a racist, being on certain corners of the net over the past ten years desensitized you to racism. And when your defenses are down, it's not hard for insidious rhetoric to start seeping on.

 

[pashmilla]

Even if this was true, that would make gamers to be more susceptible to any kind of propaganda, not just extreme right.

I guess it's the same thing as incels on reddit. Nerdy loser, can't get a girlfriend --> fuck these bitches who don't want to sleep with a nice guy like me --> rabbit hole of hatred

 

[Tokubek]

Considering Gamergate I'm gonna go with yes

This.

The internet has inadvertently become a contest to see who can say the loudest thing with the fewest words. People (in this case white nationalists) will take advantage of that and it's worrying to say the least.

 

[TheFatMan]

I mean there are a lot of social awkward gamers that have some pretty radical opinions about all kinds of things. Just stand in a midnight line for a release and you will meet some interesting people that is for sure.

I'm not saying all gamers are nerds sitting around in their parents basement eating cheetohs these days....our hobby has become more socially acceptable anyways. But there are still a lot of very impressionable younger men and women that can of course be influenced by things like white power advocates or worse.

I don't necessarily think it's become a huge problem or anything though, unless you have some proof of this.

 

[John Kowalski]

There is a big problem of simulated ethnicity in geekdom which makes it hard for them to realize their white privilege. So my answer is yes.

 

[KORNdoggy]

i imagine it's possible. but i'm not sure if it's any more so than any other male dominated group.

 

[Type40]

If you've been paying attention the last 2 years... Yes.

 

[The Omega Man]

Yep, same reasons while many animu lovers have been recruited and turned.

 

[The Technomancer]

Young impressionable males (especially white) are being radicalised all over online. They're having their insecurities used against them to manipulate their ideals, and their anger and bitterness is being directed at people who threaten the privilege because they perceive "equality" as "oppression".

Gaming is ripe for this as many gamers are more reclusive and nerdy by nature, and easy prey.

This basically. Everyone is always online right now, but gamers make up a higher proportion of the people who are around the places where this sort of radicalization is happening, and if you're an angry no life geek who feels stigma about MMOs is the only reason he hasn't gotten laid, well, you're an easy target

 

[chrislowe]

They have done a terrible job if so, since many gamers seems more left-wing, or even extreme left (like thinking violence is ok to make their voices heard)

 

[King_Moc]

Well, gamergate happened, so yes.

There is a big problem of simulated ethnicity in geekdom which makes it hard for them to realize their white privilege. So my answer is yes.

Also this. Cretins refusing to play as women or people of different ethnicities and using the veiled excuse that they "can't relate".