The contribution of computer games to transgender identity
When my 20-year-old son announced "her" "trans identity," I was initially shocked. I must admit, though I now regret to say it, that at first I affirmed it. But not for long. Because, unlike my son, who has trouble focusing on anything that does not interest him, I researched it. And what I found was shocking.
There is alarmingly little scientific research into the topic of how gaming contributes to the formation of a transgender identity, but I have been looking into it for months now. Hoping that this can be helpful to other parents, I have summarized my notes on the subject here:
Video games, both online and offline, are incredibly popular among today's younger generations. This is also true for "trans kids," but interestingly, so-called "trans-identified" kids are far more likely to spend time with video games than their healthier counterparts. Multiple studies found between 14%–50% more gaming time in trans kids than non.
Interestingly, all the most popular games among trans kids had some element of role-playing. Very few studies I found listed actual games, so take this list with a grain of salt, but some of the most popular games among trans kids were:
Minecraft, which up to 92% of trans kids interviewed played regularly
Roblox, which up to 75% played or had played
Stardew Valley, which up to 73% played
I also found the following additions to the list, though the article had not been peer-reviewed and I personally am skeptical of the possibility that these games contributed:
Call of Duty
Among Us
Angry Birds (?)
Why do these games with role-playing elements seem especially common among the trans cohort? From what I can tell, it is a combination of factors that are common to most of them:
The ability to create and play as a character with any gender and any level of gender-normativity
The act of controlling a character to act out various scenes (such as in the popular Roblox game "Adopt Me")
The perceived freedom that comes from not being able to take any permanent bodily damage in the game
Specifically pointed out by trans-identified contributors to one article I found was the fact that the characters in the games are not constrained by reality. “They don't have to go through the wrong (sic) puberty" was a direct quote included.
Another crucial aspect that stood out in my research is the role of online communities within these games. Many trans-identified kids claimed to find solace and understanding in online spaces where they can "freely express their gender identity without fear of judgment or discrimination." These virtual communities often provide a sense of belonging and acceptance that may be perceived to be lacking in their offline lives.
Moreover, the immersive nature of these games allows individuals to experiment with different aspects of their identity, including gender expression, in a supportive environment. This can be particularly dangerous to young people who may be grappling with their gender identity and searching for ways to explore and understand themselves better.
In conclusion, online and offline gaming is almost definitely a major factor in the current transgender epidemic, especially games with a heavy "role-playing" element, or that allow kids to play as characters that do not match with their actual physical gender. The research is, however, not quite conclusive yet, and if we are to find cures for our captured children and ways to prevent others from falling to this cult, we must do more inquiry.
In the meantime, I highly recommend preventing any kids who have not yet been captured from playing such intoxicating games as Minecraft, Roblox, or any other such dangerous, ideologically captured media.
I don't think it's the games per se,it's the chat and the people who have access to your children through these chats.
Here in Scotland Roblox especially has had many instances of men posing as teens to enter into sexual conversations with children-and to attempt too meet them too.
These children often think they are chatting to other children but instead they have paedophiles who have rape and castration of young boy's fantasies on their poisonous minds talking to them,twisting their minds to where they want them.
This isn't time to be afraid,it isn't time to look to academia -its time to remember that your children are YOURS and go scorched earth on this whole ideology.
It's done now,it's over,they have shown you who they are and we best start believing them
I am a young adult (not trans identified or anything, I read PITT to better understand the phenomena occuring among my peers and especially among those just a little younger than me). I played minecraft since I was a young teen. Minecraft can be single player or multi player, and single player minecraft really isn't about your in game character at all. You can pick an avatar, some of which look sort of masculine or feminine, but the avatars are pixelated and lack detail. The singleplayer game is essentially digital legos, with survival elements and limitations optionally added. The important thing is what you build, not who you are.
Naturally, multiplayer adds a different dimension to this game. While some people merely collaboratively build, others role play, which as mentioned in the article and the comments, may be contributing to problems with identity.
But I strongly believe that minecraft is correlated with trans kids and not at all causing this phenomenon. Probably the reason it shows up on a list of games popular with trans kids is because the game is just hugely popular. From my experience, minecraft, in and of itself, is harmless outside of being a timewaster. (I personally play it as a highly effective way to relax and be creative,
since other creative outlets of mine take a ton of energy.) Even multiplayer mode is not necessarily a problem unless the child is in a group where somebody is pushing the gender stuff, or a roleplay group where gender comes into play. Which isn't a problem with the game, its a problem with other people that could just as easily occur in any other internet space, regardless of whether there is a video game being played or not.
Edited to add: while I believe parents should monitor any and all digital activities their children are engaging in, and becoming obsessed with minecraft is unhealthy, the people the children interact with on these games are far more harmful than the content of the games.