Making Sense of Toxic Masculinity: Interviews with Male Video Game Players

Abstract

Video games are a prominent media in the 21^st century, and how audiences understand and respond to them is an important area of research. While there is much scholarship on how toxic masculinity manifests within games and surrounding communities, little research has been done to show how men navigate toxic masculinity in the video game social space. The current body of scholarship has focused on the role women inhabit in video games through the lens of hegemonic masculinity, but if men are to become actors of change against problematic forms of masculinity, it is imperative that research addresses how they make sense of and respond to toxic masculinity. Using a qualitative methodology, twelve interviews were conducted with male video game players. Findings identified that men normalize and identify toxic masculinity through the framing of competition and intent to harm. Additionally, men in the study characterized the barriers (avoiding aggression being redirected back on themselves and believing proactive methods to stop toxicity are inefficient) that prevented them from advocating against toxic masculine communications and behaviors in their communities.