About this Research Topic
The so-called "gamification of extremism" is a growing topic of interest. This includes discussions about the use of games to spread extremist propaganda, radicalize individuals, recruit followers, and mobilize for extremist activities. In recent years, this trend has seen a rapid rise, with several extremist attacks being live streamed in the style of first-person shooter games, and various extremist groups producing game-related propaganda. In addition, extremists from different ideological backgrounds are exploiting gaming-related platforms such as Twitch, Steam, and Discord. As a results, digital games and related spaces have become crucial focal points for those engaged in prevening and countering (violent) extremism, tech companies, policy makers, and international organizations such as the UN. This concerning trend is expected to persist, making gaming a significant area of focus for the foreseeable future.
The goal of this Research Topic is to collate the latest empirical research in the area looking at games and extremism. Empirical work in this space is a new and emerging field, and it has been difficult (in fact, nearly impossible) to find a central point to house this work. It is critically important to understand the new evidence emerging in this ever developing and shifting field to ensure that our efforts to mitigate harm and counter-terrorism in digital gaming spaces remains relevant and informed. This collection will be the first of its kind to house this work in a curated collection.
We welcome manuscripts that cover and elaborate on the following topics:
-Use of game adjacent platforms for organization and mobilization
-Game assets in extremist propaganda
-Use of games as “cultural assets of influence”
-Recruitment through gaming platforms
-Mobilization to violence through game adjacent platforms
-Case studies of radicalization through games
-Creation of bespoke games and game mods for propagandizing
-Fundraising for extremist causes through games
-Normalization of extremist ideologies in gaming spaces
-Game narratives and white supremacy
-Representation of global cultures in games and stereotyping
-Radicalization funnel processes
-Prevalence studies around extremist ideology
-Global perspectives on extremism in games
-Use of physical gaming spaces for recruitment and radicalization
The goal of this Research Topic is to collate the latest empirical research in the area looking at games and extremism. Empirical work in this space is a new and emerging field, and it has been difficult (in fact, nearly impossible) to find a central point to house this work. It is critically important to understand the new evidence emerging in this ever developing and shifting field to ensure that our efforts to mitigate harm and counter-terrorism in digital gaming spaces remains relevant and informed. This collection will be the first of its kind to house this work in a curated collection.
We welcome manuscripts that cover and elaborate on the following topics:
-Use of game adjacent platforms for organization and mobilization
-Game assets in extremist propaganda
-Use of games as “cultural assets of influence”
-Recruitment through gaming platforms
-Mobilization to violence through game adjacent platforms
-Case studies of radicalization through games
-Creation of bespoke games and game mods for propagandizing
-Fundraising for extremist causes through games
-Normalization of extremist ideologies in gaming spaces
-Game narratives and white supremacy
-Representation of global cultures in games and stereotyping
-Radicalization funnel processes
-Prevalence studies around extremist ideology
-Global perspectives on extremism in games
-Use of physical gaming spaces for recruitment and radicalization
Keywords: Video games, gaming, extremism, terrorism, radicalization, live streaming
Important Note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.
