Over 40 per cent of young American players resist gender stereotypes, and nearly half of them have difficulty finding role representation.

The recent Youth and Screen Report 2025, published by the Center for Scholars and Storymakers under the umbrella of the University of California in Los Angeles, shows that over 40 per cent of young American players actively avoid stereotypes and negative portrayals of women. The study surveyed 1,500 young people between the ages of 10 and 24.

The report indicates that 42.1 per cent of women play in the game of demeaning the image of women, and that 36.8 per cent of men play at home. The survey found that one of the greatest concerns of players was cyber-harassment. More than half of the female players indicated that because of “sex, race or other identity characteristics”, they had to maintain “specific ways of speaking and doing” in the game. Men also face this pressure, with 64.5 per cent of the men interviewed indicating that they deliberately adjust their self-expression in the game. The Centre stated: “Young people, regardless of their identity background, generally report on the pressures of socialization, technological performance, breaking stereotypes, etc. It’s the characteristics that shape the social function of the play community, and at the same time create these social pressures.”

The ethnic diversity of roles and dramas continues to be a focus for young players, 41.6 per cent of whom are interviewed as the criteria for selection. However, 47.8 per cent of the players expressed difficulties in finding a role in the game that could represent their identity, a problem that was particularly acute in Asians (55.9 per cent) and Spanish/Latinos (56.3 per cent). The report also shows the positive impact of the game: 88 per cent of the respondents have created “small communities” through the game, and nearly 70 per cent believe that the game has enhanced contact between friends. 52.3 per cent of players consider the game to be helpful in emotional regulation, and less than one third say that it would make them “more aggressive” (32.9 per cent) or “pressure” (27.8 per cent).