Long term study: No link found between video games and real-world sexism

[davidn3600]

6. Sarkeesian believes the games cause the sexism

This is one quote from Sarkeesian:
"The truth is that these games do not expose some kind of “gritty reality” of women’s lives or sexual trauma, but instead sanitize violence against women and make it comfortably consumable."

She also says here:
"We must remember that games don’t just entertain. Intentional or not, they always express a set of values, and present us with concepts of normalcy."

So she's pretty much suggesting that exposure to the games themselves desensitize the gamer to violence against women and make it more normalized. And the study shows that does not take place. Just like some (even here) have claimed that porn makes people misogynist or view women in different ways. Again, there is no scientific evidence of cause and effect. There is certainly not enough evidence to justify censorship that some are calling for.

Are the stories in games sexist? I don't know if there is a "Bechdel test" for video games. But Hollywood has had that same issue for decades since day one with women getting mainly support roles or being used for "decoration." Perhaps there are points to be made on that particular angle. But that's a different issue. The point here is that according to science, these stories themselves are not making the audience sexist. The entire gaming community has not been made misogynist because of a few stupid games like Grand Theft Auto. And a few stupid teenagers on 4chan making rape threats also doesn't represent the entire industry.