Fewer and fewer girls play video games
While nine out of ten boys between the ages of 9 and 18 play video games, only six out of ten girls play games, according to a new survey from the Norwegian Media Authority.
The proportion of girls who play has decreased by 17 percentage points since 2020, according to the Children and Media survey from the Norwegian Media Authority.
According to the survey, 76 per cent of those aged 9–18 play video games in one form or another, whether on their mobile, computer or game console.
That is 10 percentage points fewer than two years ago, a decline that the girls are mainly responsible for. The biggest decrease is among girls aged 15–18.
Exposed to harassment
There are several reasons for this development. Research shows, among other things, that female players face different expectations and reactions in games than men – and that women are more exposed to verbal and visual sexual harassment than men.
The Norwegian Media Authority calls for a more inclusive gaming culture
“That someone stops playing video games because of foul language and harassment based on gender is a challenge that we as a society must take seriously, in the same way that we tackle cultural challenges, bullying and harassment in other contexts,” Director Mari Velsand at The Norwegian Media Authority says.
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Translated by Alette Bjordal Gjellesvik.
Read the Norwegian version of this article on forskning.no
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