Buff no respeito, nerf no ódio: abordagem sociológica a respeito da violência nos jogos eletrônicos

Abstract

This study investigates the relationship between aggressiveness, prejudice, and electronic games, problematizing the recurrent association between the consumption of violent games and aggressive behavior. Situated within the context of media cultures in the neoliberal period and the rise of movements with authoritarian tendencies that use digital media as spaces for mobilization, the research draws on contributions from critical theory. The concepts of aggressiveness, prejudice, and the authoritarian personality, as well as the critical cultural studies of Douglas Kellner and his concept of media culture, in order to analyse how these phenomena manifest within the game universe. The objective is to examine whether there is a relationship between aggressive behavior and the consumption of electronic games, as well as to understand players` own perceptions regarding this hypothesis and to investigate the dynamics of toxicity in multiplayer virtual environments. This is a qualitative study, grounded in a bibliographic review and in-depth interviews with players, whose accounts were analyzed in light of the adopted theoretical framework. The results indicate that the hypothesis that violent electronic games directly and generally produce aggressive individuals is reductionist, since aggressive behaviors observed in online matches are related to factors such as competitive frustration, performance disputes, and the reproduction of preexisting social processes. The finding also reveal that virtual gaming environments, historically marked by male and white predominance, still display traits of masculinist and ageist culture, despite the growing participation of women in Brazil- an aspect that has generated concern, resonating in the press and public opinion, and becoming the subject of numerous scholarly investigations discussed throughout this dissertation. Episodes such as the #Gamergate campaign in the United States illustrate that manifestations of prejudice and authoritarian attitudes extend beyond the content of electronic games, articulating with broader social contexts, including resentments produced by structural inequalities and the circulation of hate speech on digital networks, It is concluded that violence constitutes a multifactorial phenomenon, shaped by social contexts, including resentments produced by structural inequalities and the circulation of hate speech on digital networks. It is concluded that violence constitutes a multifactorial phenomenon, shaped by social, historical, political and cultural elements, and that exclusively blaming electronic games obscures deeper structural factors, Thus, the study advocates for a critical approach to media and for strengthening of educations practices and public polices aimed at fostering critical media literacy and promoting more inclusive digital environments.