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The Hidden Dangers in Seemingly Innocent Games
The ability to virtually mistreat digital characters, construct enclosed “camps,” and even arrange online illicit encounters is a reality in popular modern games such as Minecraft. Users often discover these functionalities through specialized channels on platforms like Discord. Anyone can join these communities—from adults to twelve-year-olds. Neither these communication applications nor the games themselves possess robust age verification mechanisms.
The Enduring “Dangerous Games” Debate
For decades, numerous myths have accumulated around gaming. These were frequently fueled by media outlets that, after high-profile tragedies, sought scapegoats in popular shooter games, promoting the narrative that digital entertainment “trains” young minds for aggressive behavior. Titles like Doom, Grand Theft Auto (GTA), and Counter-Strike regularly found themselves in the crosshairs.
However, this theory has never been substantiated. A breakthrough came with a 2019 study from the University of Oxford, which found no link between violent video games and aggression in young people. A year prior, researchers at the Max Planck Institute demonstrated that even a daily, two-month session of Grand Theft Auto V did not alter empathy levels or impulse control in adults. In fact, a paradox emerged: during the period of significant growth in video game popularity in the USA (1996–2011), juvenile crime rates sharply declined, according to analyses by Christopher Ferguson.
While reports about “brutal shooters” should be viewed with considerable skepticism, the world of gaming is not entirely sterile or safe. Modern threats, however, often lie in completely different areas than media headlines might suggest. The youngest users, playing titles theoretically suited to their age group, are particularly vulnerable to these risks.
Popular Games and Their Unforeseen Risks
Minecraft, which is set to receive a film adaptation this year, is known by almost everyone. Roblox currently boasts nearly 83 million active users, with almost half of them under the age of 13. The Sims 4 also enjoys immense popularity, becoming even more accessible after transitioning to a free-to-play model in 2022.
Understanding the Games:
- The Sims: A life simulation game where players create human-like characters called Sims, build their homes, and then direct their lives. Players help them develop careers, build relationships, or pursue athletic and artistic endeavors.
- Minecraft: This game offers the ability to build (and destroy) virtually any object imaginable, provided the player gathers the necessary resources and items beforehand.
- Roblox: A “game for creating games,” where players develop their own experiences by generating various items, buildings, vehicles, and even entire maps. It is designed to be an educational game that fosters imagination.
The Sims, Roblox, Minecraft: “Safe” Games with a Critical Caveat
The aforementioned games are generally considered safe, but only up to a certain point. “I need to start supervising my daughter,” commented one mother after watching a video demonstrating various ways to eliminate digital characters in The Sims. The fact that the base version of The Sims 4 is free only makes it more accessible. While add-ons can cost a significant amount if one were to purchase them all, many possibilities exist even without these additional purchases.
The commenter was convinced that The Sims was merely a harmless family game. She was surprised to discover that game characters could be eliminated, and the methods were limited only by the player’s creativity. She was not yet aware that the same game also allows for simulating intimate relations through special, uncensored modifications. In Roblox, arranging virtual illicit encounters requires only a brief search. Within minutes—despite never having previously engaged with the game—I found an entire subculture. On “adult” video sites, there’s a distinct category dedicated to videos depicting block-like characters in explicit situations.
Regardless of age, joining such communities is relatively easy. A simple search for the right phrase leads to channels on Discord, a popular communication app for gamers. There are no age verification checks for these channels, allowing anyone to join quickly. Within various discussion threads, players seek others willing to engage in more “specific” activities.
Discord: A Gateway to Gaming’s “Dark Zones”
The National Research Institute NASK notes that Discord itself is a significant part of the problem. It facilitates access to the “dark zones” of gaming.
“The platform lacks effective age verification mechanisms, and access to servers on any topic, often inappropriate for children and adolescents, is usually easy to obtain. As a result, the youngest users may encounter vulgar, brutal, sexual, or extreme ideological content before they can understand its context or consequences,” states Michał Dąbrowski from the CERT Polska team.
According to NASK, closed channels also contain content that would be immediately removed from public spaces. Links to such materials are sometimes disguised as “jokes,” “memes,” or “secret channels for initiates only.” Consequently, many children and teenagers are exposed to material they should never see. “Young people don’t talk about such situations. This only exacerbates the problem. Forty-four percent of teenagers who have experienced online violence have not told any adult. Their digital worlds are closed,” says Marta Witkowska, a digital education expert at NASK.
Player Perspectives: Exploring the Boundaries
Seeking to understand the players of these games, I joined a group for young adults and connected with several users.
Jakub agreed to speak. He shared that he always enjoyed testing the limits of games. When The Sims first appeared, his favorite pastime was finding the “most interesting” ways to eliminate characters. He most often removed ladders from swimming pools or trapped characters in basements, where they would die of exhaustion—a rather classic approach, as the internet is full of guides and videos on creative ways to eliminate or torment Sims. He emphasized, however, that there are limits to his actions: “I wouldn’t want to treat characters that resemble someone from my family that way.” At age 11, Jakub played Postal 2, a game he eagerly showed me, where he described actions like urinating on dead characters and using a cat as a rifle suppressor.
Roman admitted to enjoying creating virtual concentration camps for Sims but became uneasy when asked about his motivations. Our conversation ended after a few messages.
I also met Damian and Tobiasz, who specialize in constructing such places in Minecraft. They agreed to talk and invited me for a chat.
Virtual Camps in Minecraft: “Just for Fun”
In their apartment, multiple monitors displayed various content, reflecting their interest in technology. On one, a live stream played; on another, an animation of birds. Tobiasz’s cat occasionally approached the screen, attempting to chase the birds.
They displayed their controversial creation on a projector, allowing me to see it in full detail. “Here we have a swastika, and here’s another,” Damian explained, then built another to demonstrate the process. When asked why they created such a camp, Damian claimed it was the “best way to acquire resources needed in the game.” They didn’t want to be like villagers—neutral, boring computer-controlled characters. However, because the villagers’ natural day-night cycle resembles a human one, many players treat them similarly to the Sims mentioned earlier.
In their view, the game’s mechanics themselves encourage the creation of such structures: the more resources you have, the better you are. The boys use all available methods to acquire them. In their swastika-adorned machine, they “suck” blood, life energy, and gold from “mobs” (in-game creatures).
“Are these symbols necessary?” I asked, looking at the image projected. The boys tried to convince me that for young people, “it’s just a meme,” “just fun.” As part of their entertainment, they also create their friends as Sims, install mods, and encourage them into intimate relationships. Tobiasz even helped me add a similar modification to my game so I could see how it all worked.
My editorial colleague, Szymon Baliński, emphasizes that context is paramount in modern gaming, and many situations cannot be judged by the same standards. “It’s one thing to play a game that uses Nazi symbols to tell parts of our tragic history. It’s another to consciously use this symbolism for a distasteful ‘joke,'” he points out. He notes that much depends on parental engagement. “Today, more than ever, parents have a vast array of tools available to monitor how their children spend time in virtual worlds,” adds Szymon Baliński.
Expert Insights: The Link Between Exposure and Tolerance
This brings us to the core issue: even a seemingly innocent game can become violent if sufficient creativity is applied. And while previous studies did not confirm a correlation between playing shooter games and increased aggression, this does not mean that exposure to such content is without consequences.
“A group of scientists from the Center for Research on Prejudice at the University of Warsaw conducted very interesting research related to so-called hate speech. They quite clearly showed that the more examples we observe of violating someone’s good name or insulting another person, the greater our tolerance for subsequent such elements,” says Professor Tomasz Grzyb from SWPS University.
Upon joining a parent group, I also learned that many struggle with addicted children. Often, it begins with allowing gaming for “a moment to oneself” and ends in arguments because the child refuses to leave the computer. Many children play titles not intended for their age, which can be easily downloaded from various corners of the internet.
Parental Responsibility and Platform Accountability
As Dr. hab. Łukasz Kaczmarek observes, the fault is not always with the young people. “If a child has no other choices, it is to some extent a result of neglect in supporting that child’s development. Because they haven’t developed the ability to play outside of contact with parents. And here, something is wrong with us. We rank among the top countries for parental burnout,” he says.
However, the blame cannot be placed solely on parents. In 2021, Roblox and Minecraft stated they would take appropriate action to prevent the spread of extreme attitudes. This issue gained prominence following a three-month investigation by the anti-fascist organization Hope Not Hate, with the findings reported by BBC Click. Five years later, little has changed. Controversial objects associated with historical atrocities still exist in virtual worlds. Players use seemingly safe titles and communication platforms to spread hateful attitudes. The solution to the problem is simpler than it seems: if we cannot control a child, sometimes it is enough simply not to leave them unsupervised with a computer. “Children truly had plenty to play with before computers or televisions. And they still do. One just needs to believe in them and give them an incentive to explore,” concludes Dr. hab. Łukasz Kaczmarek.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How can parents effectively monitor their children’s activities in popular online games and platforms?
Parents can utilize various tools and strategies, including parental control software, monitoring screen time, actively engaging in their children’s gaming, understanding the games they play, and familiarizing themselves with communication platforms like Discord. Regularly discussing online experiences with children and establishing clear rules for internet usage are also crucial steps.
What specific risks do open-world games like Minecraft and Roblox pose to younger users, beyond general online safety concerns?
Beyond general online safety, these games, due to their open-ended nature, allow users to create and share content that can include extreme ideologies, inappropriate symbols (like swastikas in user-created structures), explicit modifications (mods) for intimate relations, and “camps” where digital characters are subjected to virtual mistreatment. The lack of robust age verification on associated communication platforms further increases exposure to such content and problematic interactions.
Given that research shows no direct link between violent video games and aggression, why is there still concern about children’s exposure to inappropriate content in games?
While studies may not establish a direct causal link between violent games and aggression, exposure to inappropriate content, such as hate speech, extreme ideologies, or explicit material, can still have significant consequences. Experts suggest that repeated exposure can desensitize individuals, increasing their tolerance for such elements. It can also normalize harmful behaviors or concepts, potentially affecting a child’s worldview and social development, even without leading to physical aggression.
What responsibility do game developers and communication platforms bear in preventing the spread of harmful content and interactions among users?
Game developers and communication platforms have a significant responsibility to implement and enforce robust content moderation policies, improve age verification mechanisms, and actively monitor user-generated content for violations. Despite commitments to address these issues, as highlighted by reports concerning Roblox and Minecraft, ongoing challenges remain. Continuous investment in AI-driven moderation, prompt response to user reports, and fostering a culture of safety are crucial for protecting younger audiences.
Source: Original research. Opening photo: Gemini
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