Twitch updates harassment policy to curb online abuse

For those that aren’t aware of Twitch - they are a hosting platform that has made some of your favorite online games possible. Of course, online gaming with hundreds of players is nothing new, but over the years, there has been a bit of a problem that has materialized. To cut straight to the point, this problem is cyberbullying, except not in the traditional sense. Many people think of cyberbullying as social media abuse, chat room abuse, and just general abuse from all kinds of other platforms.

But as seen with streaming platforms like Twitch, cyberbullying has become a major issue for those that engage in online gaming. That’s because players can openly chat with others while gaming, and harassment seems to have grown to new levels. According to Twitch, occurrences of racial hate, sexual orientation abuse, and nationalist views have become all too frequent, which is why changes will now be made in January 2021.

Key changes to be implemented

Although online gamers can report occurrences of online abuse and bullying, it isn’t something that is actively controlled really. However, the changes that will come into effect will now allow drastic action by banning certain players from playing entirely, and intense abuse instances could even be taken further in the form of legal action. This is great news for those that have felt abused when playing games online, as there will now be a dedicated team that is working to ensure that your online experience is enjoyable, rather than frustrating or upsetting.

Due to this initiative, it is the hope that instances of all kinds of abuse will significantly decrease, and this is the hope for both teens and adult gamers. 

Why these changes are being made

In the online gaming world, there is just no place for mindless abuse or conversations that are designed to antagonize and infuriate other players. After all, online gaming platforms are a place for people to have fun, not to be exposed to hurtful comments. As it happens, cyberbullying via online gaming platforms can actually have more of a detrimental impact than abuse on other platforms. That’s because you hear comments that are directed straight at you, and of course, this has a severe impact on mental health over time.

If you are exposed to such abuse for sustained periods of time, you are likely to suffer from loss of esteem, depression, anxiety, and a loss of self-worth in extreme instances. Obviously, this is not what online gaming platforms are there for, which is why Twitch is now taking things up a level in an attempt to stop all forms of abuse. If they are able to trace abuse and take action on it quickly, all of the mental health implications we’ve just mentioned will hopefully be reduced, and people can stop worrying about being exposed to such hate when playing online.

Games that are causing problems

Interestingly, there is quite a strong connection between games and emotions that many gaming platform hosts are becoming aware of. In fact, there are two specific gaming types that seem to fuel instances of hate and abuse, as they have a more stimulating effect on players overall. The first of these is online shooting games, such as Call Of Duty. Of course, in this game, you are going around the map and trying to not only outsmart the opposition but then take them down as well. With such violence on display, this seems to bring out the worst in certain gamers that tend to be abusive online. It’s not just Call Of Duty where we are seeing issues either - this goes for all games that are quite violent.

In contrast to online shooting games where there are plenty of players involved at any one time, we’ve found that one on one games can also be problematic. That’s because the communication channels are then open for constant abuse from the same person. An example of this would be online FIFA, where you are often playing against one other person for upwards of 10 minutes at times. As you might know, FIFA is one of those games that can be quite frustrating, and when this is present, abuse can sometimes follow.

Closing thoughts

As much as we all enjoy online gaming, we are aware that online abuse is something that needs to be taken seriously. With Twitch taking action on this issue, we hope that the future of online gaming is looking brighter and that abuse suffered will soon be a thing of the past.