![]() ![]() I’ve seen how wholesome and lovely strangers can be to other strangers, if only for a thirty-minute match. I’ve jumped on voice chat after a rough day and been greeted by people whose life duty, it seems, is to make people laugh. ![]() I’ve played with strangers that went on to become old friends. I’ve had wholesome interactions with strangers on Valorant, who insist on giving me their skinned Vandals without me even asking. The idea of finishing a day’s work and jumping online to chat with people while doing something that I love (which they also love!) has always been kind of cute to me. Understandably, my experiences made it clear that these were spaces I wasn’t welcome in, so I naturally put the headset down and gravitate towards video games that were safe spaces for women (all of which had no online component).īut I think I’ve always craved that sense of social connection intrinsic to online multiplayer, which is why I was so excited to enter the scene again with a Covid-induced Valorant rampage. I wasn’t prepared for the type of slurs and insults that were slung my way, especially the ones that have now reached some kind of perverse legendary status, à la “Go make me a sandwich” or “Get back in the kitchen” (creative). To me, chatting with randoms on Call of Duty seemed like a really cool opportunity – and a worthy rival to the creepy and phallic-infused Omegle that so many of us were drawn to.īut these lofty ideals and rose-coloured glass were quickly smashed by the harsh reality that we know all too well ( Taylor’s Version) today - harassment and online gaming go hand-in-hand, especially for women. I loved video games already, and at the time, the integration of voice chat into online multiplayer games was such a novelty. One of my first experiences with it was playing Call of Duty (mistake #1) as a teenager (mistake #2). Like most women, I’ve been a victim of online gender-based harassment. It’s pretty well documented that online multiplayer games, especially first-person shooters, are a Very Bad™ time for women and gender-diverse people. ![]()
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