NEW PUBLICATION

NEW PUBLICATION

ADAPTATION OF PAPER WRITTEN BY CIAC RESEARCHERS PUBLISHED IN THE JOURNAL UALGORITMO 

Discurso de ódio nos jogos e comunidades de jogo online: um estudo exploratório” [Hate speech in games and online gaming communities: an exploratory study] was published in the latest issue of the journal UALGORITHM (October 2022). The paper was written by CIAC researchers Mirian Tavares, Bruno Mendes da Silva, Susana Costa, Filipa Cerol, Paulo Alves, and Beatriz Isca. The publication is an adaptation of a paper published in an International Journal in 2019. The adapted text was reviewed by secondary school students from the Algarve. Under the motto “Science for kids,” the magazine aims to promote science to non-specialized audiences.

This study analyses the spread of hate speech amongst young gamers, particularly in video games and online communities. The immersion of the player in the symbolic arena of the game, where everything becomes possible, raises questions about the relationship between video games in the virtual world and the players’ behavior in the real world. Considering the limitless possibilities of video games, the paper also reflects on media literacy and the potential of using games as learning tools.

This study evaluated the results of a survey where participants responded to a series of statements about games and hate speech. The questionnaires were applied in primary and secondary schools in three European countries: Portugal, Italy, and Lithuania. The study’s results are available here.

UALGORITHM it is a project created to promote research developed at the University of Algarve amongst a non-specialized public (namely, secondary education students) based on articles and research works that have been previously published in specialized (inter)national journals.