Online Gaming and Racism: Impact on Psychological Distress Among Black, Asian, and Latinx Emerging Adults

Although online racism occurs frequently and explicitly in online gaming (e.g., anti-Black hate speeches), no research has examined the psychological impact on racial/ethnic minority players. Thus, the current study examined the mediating role of online racism in the link between time spent in online gaming and psychological distress. Using data from 765 racial minority emerging adults in the United States and with gender controlled, time spent in online gaming predicted greater exposure to online racism, which in turn was linked to higher psychological distress. Post hoc multi-group comparison suggested that the findings were consistent with the Black group but neither the direct nor indirect effects of the model were significant for the Asian and Latinx groups. The results highlight the unjust digital burden and psychological costs of racism in online gaming among racial minority emerging adults, particularly among Black individuals. Limitations and implications for research are discussed.

Automated summary

This study found that there is a mediating role of online racism between time spent in online gaming and psychological distress, with the effect being more pronounced in the Black group. The findings did not show significant direct or indirect effects for Asian and Latinx groups.