Sleep disruption, mental health pressures and online abuse are among the risks young esports players face, as a lack of common standards leaves their protection fragmented, Save the Children says.
Children’s health and wellbeing are not adequately protected in competitive gaming, according to a new report, “Protecting Child Rights in Esports,” by Save the Children, published on Tuesday.
The report calls on the fast-growing esports industry to put children’s rights, enshrined in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC), ahead of competitive ambitions.
Young esports players — up to 300 million children worldwide — can face disrupted sleep, musculoskeletal problems, sexism, anxiety, online harassment and depression, while intensive training can leave less time for education, family and friends.
“Esports offers exciting opportunities for children, but participation should never come at the expense of their rights, wellbeing or development,” Theo Toresson, a psychologist at Save the Children and gaming expert, said in a press release.
“As the industry continues to grow, children must be recognised as children first and competitors second,” he added, calling for children’s involvement in decision-making and ensuring a future where “every child can participate safely, develop their talents and enjoy the benefits of gaming without being exposed to harm.”
The concern is that children entering structured competitive environments may face expectations associated with professional sport without equivalent safeguards designed around their age and development.
No common standards for healthy competition
Long periods of sitting, inadequate breaks and training schedules that encroach on sleep, physical activity or schoolwork are among the concerns facing young players.
Long sessions and poor posture can also contribute to neck, shoulder and wrist pain, highlighting the need for ergonomic guidance and better-structured training.
Sleep is another concern. Late-night gaming schedules and the demands of competition can disrupt rest, affecting cognitive performance, mood regulation and overall wellbeing, the report says.
A representative of a national esports federation, quoted anonymously in the report, said there were no established guidelines on playing hours or training methods.
“We do talk about screen breaks, healthy diets, sleep, and hydration. But these are practices we’ve found best from different researchers and brought together ourselves. There isn’t yet a centralized body trying to bring this together,” the representative said.
The absence of common standards raises questions about who is responsible for ensuring that competitive gaming remains compatible with children’s physical and psychological development.
The picture is not uniformly negative, however. The report notes that many professional esports players report satisfactory levels of physical activity, with higher-ranking players often placing greater emphasis on fitness. Players may also adopt healthy habits around diet and other aspects of their lifestyles.
Mental health under pressure
The psychological demands of competition are another concern.
“The demanding nature of esports, coupled with online toxicity, can create significant mental health challenges” for Youth Esports Athletes, the report says.
Stress, anxiety and depression can be compounded by intense competition and limited access to appropriate support. This can be further fueled by, for example, sexism and online harassment, as many interact with audiences through in-game chats, Discord communities, livestreaming platforms such as Twitch and YouTube and social media.
These channels can help young players build communities and develop public profiles, but they also expose them to cyberbullying and privacy violations. The report cited an analysis of chatrooms during 302 gameplay segments from the top 20 streamers on Twitch, one of the most popular platforms for esports
and gaming-related streaming, which revealed that 62% of streams included sexist language, 37% included racist language, 84% included ableist language, and 97% included violent language.
Some esports federations and teams require staff to obtain mental health first-aid training, according to the report, but such practices are not widespread across the industry.
The report warns that young players can be thrust into public-facing roles before they have the experience or support needed to navigate online scrutiny, interviews and livestreams.
The report also exposes challenges such as ensuring equal participation, with persisting large disparities based on access, gender, race, LGBTQIA+and disability; children’s involvement in decision-making; economic exploitation, as teams, agents, and even parents sometimes exploit young players, taking advantage of non-transparent contracts and unequal power dynamics; and risks at live events without an adequate supervision.
Source: www.euronews.com
