Do You Consider Yourself a Gamer?

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I am a girl, and I enjoy playing various games, from a simple Minecraft session to speed racing in Grand Theft Auto. I can play video games for hours at a time. I love creating my own character and progressing the story by completing ridiculous tasks I would never be able to accomplish in reality. Yet I always downplay how much I actually enjoy video games when someone asks.

I like playing video games, but why am I afraid to call myself a gamer?

It's well known that the gaming community is viewed as predominantly male. A gender disparity is evident in many aspects of the gaming world, from the absence of female characters to the disproportionate amount of abuse and harassment directed at women playing video games. Although 52% of people playing video games in 2022 were male and 48% were female, according to J. Clement on Statista, women are less likely to self-identify as "gamers" than men.

Only 9% of women surveyed said they considered themselves gamers.

There are several reasons why women may be hesitant to identify as gamers. Personally, I find playing video games in an online environment intimidating because I feel outnumbered by the amount male players. For this reason, I don’t interact with other gamers and don’t call myself one.

Additionally, women playing online video games are more likely to be harassed by other players than men. This harassment can take many forms, from sexualized comments and threats to being told to "get back in the kitchen." This kind of abuse often discourages women from playing games and drives them out of the gaming community altogether. Women are frequently judged more harshly than men regarding their gaming skills. This double standard can be frustrating and demotivating for female gamers.

On more than one occasion, my boyfriend invited me to play one of my favorite games with him and his friends, who are all men. I told him no, not because I didn’t want to or thought his friends would be rude to me, but because I knew I would be the only woman at the party. I would feel uncomfortable and out of place. By playing video games with only other men, I would have to be good, but not too good, to fit in and ensure everyone had an enjoyable time.

Criticism isn't the only thing holding women back from self-identifying as gamers. A lack of female representation in video games can also be off-putting for women. In many popular games, such as Grand Theft Auto and Assassin's Creed, the vast majority of playable characters are male. This lack of diversity can make it feel like gaming is a boys' club, where women are not invited.

On top of the lack of representation, female characters are often oversexualized in video games and are seen wearing revealing clothes, and are excessively submissive as the damsel in distress. In contrast, male characters are rarely oversexualized and are more likely to be shown as tough and muscular. This sexualization of female characters sends the message that women in games are nothing more than objects for the male gaze, which is not an empowering message for female gamers.

Additionally, video games have been stereotyped as a masculine activity, with a plethora of first-person shooter games such as Call Of Duty and Wolfenstein targeted at men. Competitive games are seen as more of a manly activity because men like to compete in video games, and women enjoy completing video games. For example, women favor strategy games, such as Sims, whereas men tend to favor shooting games, like Overwatch.

I am often deterred from playing certain video games because I feel like the game wasn’t made for me. Even if I would like the game’s story, I know that I probably have too many X chromosomes to find it entertaining. It seems there is a strict line between games girls can play, and games boys can play.

Despite the challenges, there are plenty of reasons why women should embrace the gaming identity. Gaming can be a great way to relax and unwind, and there are now more games than ever before that cater to all kinds of players.

There are some signs of progress. In recent years, there has been an increase in the number of popular games with female protagonists, such as Horizon Zero Dawn and Tomb Raider. There have also been some efforts to make game environments more welcoming for women, such as setting up dedicated servers for women-only players. In my experience, I have been encouraged by my peers to join their parties and spend more time gaming online with them. Hopefully, with time, the gaming community will become more inclusive and diverse, and more women will feel included and welcomed.