Gender Stereotypes In Video Games Essay

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Damsel in distress. Skintight clothes. Big breasts. What do these three things have in common? All three concepts perpetuate sexism and subjugate females to objectification. This phenomenon is typically illustrated in video games. With the prevalence of video games, it has exponentially risen to the limelight, transcending into professional sports or Esports. Esports can be described as a form of sports where principal features are facilitated by electronic systems. Most frequently, Esports take the shape of organized multiplayer video game competitions, particularly between professional players. Additionally, careers in gaming have entered the streaming realm, with online websites such as Twitch. With websites such as Twitch and broadcasted …show more content…

These gender traits have been deeply ingrained within our culture. After decades in which society perceives women as submissive and dependent, gender stereotypes start to take form. One of the stereotypes, resulted from gender roles, is videogames as a male activity. This is clear when coming across toy aisles in local stores. There are explicit gender divides and evident signs indicating which toys are for which gender. In the video game section, it is not as blatant but it is clear that it is appealing to boys. This conception of video games as a male interest, was heavily circulated from the ‘90s through television commercial, magazine ads and the media, as it often depicted boys playing games. It was found back in the 80’s and 90’s that boys were encouraged more to pursue fields in science or technology, whereas females were once again restricted to careers embracing more feminine qualities. As a result, throughout the years, there has been an underlying idea that video games are assigned to males. Therefore, gender roles hold a considerable amount of influence as to why there is a lack of female representation in the gaming

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