This year has been tough for people around the world for countless reasons and one of those reasons has been mental health. Although mental health has always been an issue it only seems to be recently that people have become more open to discussing it. Especially in the gaming industry I think there is a huge lack of decency and respect that have stemmed from mental health issues and have created even more.
We have recently seen the #MeToo movement finally spread to the gaming industry and have had our eyes opened to the severity of these issues that affects so many of us. It is up to all of us to remember who we are, and notice who we may be online, because those can be totally different things. It is up to us to remember that the people you encounter online can be in any state of mind, or have any type of personality, but there will always be one thing in common. The fact that we turn to the same game(s) to have fun. Think about it, everyone you encounter playing whatever game it is, have all decided at the same time as you, that playing this game is what you want to do with your time at that moment and all we want to do is have some fun. The last thing you want is for someone to sabotage that and ruin your fun while you’re playing a game, and that’s the last thing that they want as well. Do each other a favour and enjoy each other’s company. People play games to have a better day, help them enjoy their day.
#Metoo movement on twitch
It is fantastic to see more and more people gaining the confidence to come forward with the stories that have haunted them in the past and to see all the support that they have for one another. There is clearly an issue with sexual assault and harassment in the industry that many have to deal with and hopefully with these stories being made public, more people will understand the effects these acts can have on others. This is the first step of many needed to combat these issues and create a better community for all of us to be a part of.
Another thing to consider with this movement is that some of these people waited a long time to come out wit their stories, and we as viewers and friends can do better to create a supportive environment so more people in the future can feel more confident in coming out and advising everyone of the issues they experience and help in creating a safer environment for everyone.
Fedmyster
For some background, I am a big consumer of OfflineTV content, and have watched Fed ever since he was a part of the house. I’ll refrain from giving my personal opinion on him because I don’t think its important for the discussion, and in general, we are all in agreement that the things that have come up regarding his behaviour are despicable. I think an important note regarding this story however is that there seems to be a decently sized group, albeit, a minority, that believe Fed didn’t really do anything wrong. I think it’s important to understand two things:
1. While it may not be the worst things someone can do to another, they are still very wrong.
2. He may have been drunk/drinking in these situation, but that does not excuse his actions either.
I think people are having difficulties swallowing the fact that several people have had issues with Fed. Even Yassuo mentioned on his stream that viewers are not even aware of the majority of the things that Fed has done to other people. So please, refrain from blaming anyone in these situations because the people that were impacted by Fed’s actions do not deserve any hate. Even Fed knows (or at least he will soon enough), the damage that he has caused, and sending him hate will not change that fact or help the cause in any significant way.
Reckful
Byron ‘Reckful’ Berstein passed away July 2nd 2020, at the age of 31. Well know as a World of Warcraft player initially, (hitting Rank 1 in six consecutive seasons), and more recently for games like Hearthstone and for other livestreaming (IRL) content. He unfortunately suffered from depression and Type II bipolar disorder, and committed suicide. It is devastating news for so many people for so many reasons. He was a pioneer of streaming, he was open about his mental health and used his platform to try to make people have a better day, and lastly he even went so far as to make a game that he wished he had growing up that would have helped him deal with his mental health problems so that others would have the game as an outlet.
Reckful was one of those very few streamers that you would enjoy watching regardless of what game he was playing because you were there for who he was, and not because he was good at a game. His death is an absolute tragedy for everyone that knew him and even those that didn’t still felt the ripple effect that coursed through the gaming and streaming community, leaving us all to mourn our loss.
I am hopeful that his passing will spark the disucssion to recognize for his death, but he often had to deal with incredibly toxic and vile viewers that need to learn from this tragedy and understand the magnitude that their words can have on others. Especially the ones that you may think have so much attention that even one person’s words won’t have any effect on them. But like I said earlier, you never know what state people are in, and anything can become the breaking point. So remember to be good to each other. We are all in this strange world together, and especially now, all we have is each other.