eSports Scholarships and Gender Gap

[RenFengge 1,036]

I'ma gonna leave this here.

 

AP study: Nearly 90% of esports scholarships going to men

APNEWS.COM

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Colleges and universities rushing to invest in the booming arena of varsity esports are overwhelmingly committing opportunities and scholarships to male players, according to data collected by The...

 

[phil bottle 9,562]

13 hours ago, RenFengge said:

I'ma gonna leave this here.

 

AP study: Nearly 90% of esports scholarships going to men

APNEWS.COM

---

Colleges and universities rushing to invest in the booming arena of varsity esports are overwhelmingly committing opportunities and scholarships to male players, according to data collected by The...

 

 

There's been a conversation in the UK this week about the fact that women can't walk home from work without getting harassed, abused and occasionally murdered.

Yet we have a whole bunch of men only concerned with saying it's not all men. That's empathy for you, eh.

That's where we're at in the 21st century.

[RenFengge 1,036]

52 minutes ago, phil bottle said:

 

There's been a conversation in the UK this week about the fact that women can't walk home from work without getting harassed, abused and occasionally murdered.

Yet we have a whole bunch of men only concerned with saying it's not all men. That's empathy for you, eh.

That's where we're at in the 21st century.

 

This is a touchy subject for me. (So, fair warning)

 

It was Women's International Day on Monday. The topic of sexual harassment and assault has been one of the prevalent discussions happening everywhere, and I, for one, am highly amused at the saltiness from men, in general, about it.

 

Fun fact about me. I am in a way proud of my profession as an Executive Assistant (because rich and powerful people can't seem to find a f*cking elevator button unless you explicitly tell them or how to cross a street or how time works in general). But, it is one of those things that angers me to no end. My conversations that I have with my teammates when it isn't about getting something done, it's about how that even though we do at least half the work of our C-level Executives who "run the world", we are no more than indentured servants who were generally hired for how pretty we look in f*cking skirt. Our actual skills are just a bonus.

 

My conversations with them tend to land on "imagine if we weren't women and what we would actually be doing instead?" Then, it's usually, "Now, imagine if we weren't a person of color and weren't a woman?"

 

Do you know how many women end up in my profession straight out of college/university because no one actually knows that a young, 20-something female can actually be something else besides an assistant? For every woman who is able to avoid a company defaulting her into an assistant person, there are probably at least 20 women who tried and ended up an assistant. (I, however, always enjoyed the thought of being the level of assistant I am because 1) general work life balance, 2) I consider it a very well paid forever internship where I learn everything about how a company works, 3) the insane connections and stories that come with the job)

 

Regarding Sexual Harassment and Violence, I leave these here (there is a reason why I train combat martial arts and not sport. It being fun is only part of it):

 

 

 

 

And one more because this hits super close to home... and I can't believe that 20 years later, I'm still angry.

 

https://www.instagram.com/p/CMUorwmrvgZ/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

 

 

 

 

[RenFengge 1,036]

For those who read the original post and say, "Well, look at us? We don't really have active women gamers in our group."

 

No, we don't. And, I hope to change that.

 

But, it took a lot for me to say "F*ck it. Let's actually join in the fun here. Maybe they live up to their own expectations that they aren't the typical toxic guys in the gaming world that have generally kept me from even opening my mouth and actually made me change my PSN handle."

 

Women make up for almost half the gamers in the world.

 

Women are the ones who used to be the majority in creating and coding.

 

But, you will rarely see a woman in a serious aspect of gaming.

 

And, if a woman, in general, wants to succeed in streaming, let's just say skills with a makeup brush and how low-cut of a top can be worn are more important than actual coordination with a controller or k/m.

 

I do not take myself seriously in gaming competitions or group play. Could I grind D2 as much as my husband and my friends? Sure. But, you also have no clue how much mental effort it took for me to be okay with the multiplayer aspect of the game and be willing to subject myself to potential online harassment. They talk about the fun in the salty messages they get after a Crucible match. But, do they know the flood of sexist messages I would get if I left my handle the same? If I even dared to speak on team comms if it wasn't with people I knew? I can't imagine how many pissed off players were created when I would run around Crucible with Drang and Rat King... only for them to be all "Did I just get killed by a female warlock?"... then to double check my profile and wonder "maybe it's a guy just playing that. It has to be a guy."

 

The sexual harassment I experienced in my teens and 20's... I could not take it if it leaked into my gaming world sanctuary. So, my handle is changed. My profile is private. You can't friend me unless you are someone I know (or know someone who is already my friend). You can't message me either. And, I will not talk on comms if I don't know you. I will help you. But I will not talk, as I do not need my gender getting in the way of me helping you.

[Plumbers Crack 4,033]

Hopefully you consider here safe, my friend

[RenFengge 1,036]

2 hours ago, Plumbers Crack said:

Hopefully you consider here safe, my friend

 

Lol. I do.. If I didn't, I wouldn't be so chit chatty. 😅

[techno 3,466]

6 hours ago, phil bottle said:

 

There's been a conversation in the UK this week about the fact that women can't walk home from work without getting harassed, abused and occasionally murdered.

Yet we have a whole bunch of men only concerned with saying it's not all men. That's empathy for you, eh.

That's where we're at in the 21st century.

While there is some truth to that it is missing some context, unless you also believe as was stated in parliament that men should have a 6pm curfew 😉

[phil bottle 9,562]

1 hour ago, techno said:

While there is some truth to that it is missing some context, unless you also believe as was stated in parliament that men should have a 6pm curfew 😉

 

I'm referring to those that instead of taking a minute to show some solidarity with their fellow humans, prefer to make it about all about themselves🙂

[J4MES OX4D 9,776]

2 hours ago, techno said:

While there is some truth to that it is missing some context, unless you also believe as was stated in parliament that men should have a 6pm curfew 😉

I honestly cannot believe that Baroness woman suggested that but this is the mentality of some people in power.  This is an horrific thing that's happened but what isn't needed is sweeping generalisation or more societal division.  Everyone should be coming together and for once, ideas should be shared on prevention and education rather than turning it into a political point scoring circus. 

[RenFengge 1,036]

3 hours ago, techno said:

While there is some truth to that it is missing some context, unless you also believe as was stated in parliament that men should have a 6pm curfew 😉

 

Wait. What?

 

That sounds bonkers.

 

I just want to feel safe going out at night by myself without fear of getting kidnapped, assaulted, killed, etc.

 

Not infringe on people's freedom lol.

 

However, my basic understanding is that she was trying to make a point and wasn't serious about the suggestion. And, her point being that society typically tells women to stay home if they want to be safe and no one blinks an eye at that. But, the moment such suggestions are made for men, it's just a crazy thought.

[techno 3,466]

52 minutes ago, RenFengge said:

 

Wait. What?

 

That sounds bonkers.

 

I just want to feel safe going out at night by myself without fear of getting kidnapped, assaulted, killed, etc.

 

Not infringe on people's freedom lol.

 

However, my basic understanding is that she was trying to make a point and wasn't serious about the suggestion. And, her point being that society typically tells women to stay home if they want to be safe and no one blinks an eye at that. But, the moment such suggestions are made for men, it's just a crazy thought.

I'm sure she was but maybe she could have clarified that as she knows stuff like that would be taken out of context.

Thing is and I'm sure it's somewhat different for women probably due to the greater threat of sexual assaults  but we all want to be safe, I said before there are circumstances  I try to or actively avoid as " it looks a bit dodgy" etc. Everything we do in life we subconsciously risk assess. 

There was a thread on twitter by a retired cop where he tried to put things into a little more perspective as the media generally goes full on fear/ hysteria when something horrible like what happened happens.

From what I've read the advice was don't go out alone. Someone said the only time women were told to stay at home was during the jack the ripper era that happened round here.

 

This thread has definitely moved away from the op 😉

[phil bottle 9,562]

Ok, back to the OP. 😁

 

I'm a broken record here. Capitalism. Let's find a different way of organising ourselves as the current one is not fit for purpose.

Our economic system and the fear it creates is the basis of the majority of our ills.

[RenFengge 1,036]

3 hours ago, phil bottle said:

Ok, back to the OP. 😁

 

I'm a broken record here. Capitalism. Let's find a different way of organising ourselves as the current one is not fit for purpose.

Our economic system and the fear it creates is the basis of the majority of our ills.

 

There's a lot of truth in this. One that I have had extensive conversations about with my friends in our make-shift support group that started in November 2016.

 

Because once you got past the anger and the overall shallowness of disagreements, what's really the issue? One word. Capitalism. A much better explanation, Abundance Mindset vs Scarcity Mindset.

 

Some of my best days working was while I worked at a hedge fund. My position being vastly different than others. But, while my own boss was very much a terrible human being to me, his other assistants that I managed, and his family, to the point that I drank often to cope, I also knew how to separate that from how the company was actually ran. What does that mean? That means that we, as a company, had a credence of "sharing the pie". The profits in what we traded were always distributed to the employees. We never wanted someone to worry about making ends meet (on the flip side of that was that if an employee was not worrying about bills, then that employee would work more efficiently). Someone got cancer - sure as sh*t we made sure they got the best treatment available in NYC, and we would cover it even if our top tier health insurance wouldn't. Someone's spouse got laid off - we'll look at either advancing a bonus or just giving a discretionary bonus. An employee technically isn't allowed to invest in our own funds based on rules? We'll look into setting up a sort of LLC to do so on that group of employees' behalf.

 

I worked at a hedge fund that was vastly different from the rest. And, it was amazing to see what a working culture was like if people weren't 1) afraid for their jobs, 2) well-compensated (all the way down to our cleaning people), and 3) actually happy (lol. not me, but my position was different; and really, no one should be locking up their assistant in a 90F/32C corner office for hours)

 

We all had a common goal aside from making gobs of money, and that was to make the world a better place by using our profits to fund R&D into orphan diseases and whatnot. To advance medicine. To get better healthcare out there. We collectively worked hard and ungodly hours because our collective needs were met. We respected each other as people (again, not between me and my boss due to position) because we didn't think we were competing against each other. If someone needed help, we helped. If someone needed to be taken down a peg because they were being terrible (again, not my boss), they were.

 

Capitalism, in general, exacerbates the Scarcity Mindset that lead people to being afraid and scared and angry. People see someone else as winning means that they themselves are losing something, when that isn't the case.

 

Regarding the article I posted, I want there to be less of a gender gap when it comes to these things. But the inherent bias makes it difficult. And, the guys getting those scholarships and jobs feel entitled to them. If, let's say, 5 people are up for a spot with a scholarship and 1 of those 5 is a woman, if the woman gets it, the rest will not say that it is because she was actually better than them in gameplay. The rest of them will say, "Oh, there's that equality/PC bullshit again. I'm better but because she's a woman, she gets the spot." 

 

This is also not to say that I think diversity hires/picks are a great thing. I think people who are best qualified for the position should get it. I understand the importance of a diversity hire/pick. But, it is far from easy to think that it's the solution to disparity in the workplace.

[J4MES OX4D 9,776]

In regards to the article, my first thoughts are; why weren't there videogame scholarships back in my day😅

 

I actually think the whole thing is stupid (videogame scholarships) really - bit like how in China they have Influencer Degrees for TikTok and other social media shit. Not sure if it's because I haven't moved with the times but I'd rather see investment in people for crucial life skills that they cannot earn outside of their household. Anybody can pick up and play a videogame but you can't become a Doctor or Scientist without some extensive paid education and encouragement. This whole charade sounds like a quick cash-in for Universities and Colleges a bit like how real sport teams now have an e-sport team on the side for that extra pocket money. 

 

In regards to the gender gap, although a lot of females play videogames, it's still dominated heavily by males because more opt to play professionally within the popular games and many have been around for a long time. There are some excellent and highly-skilled female streamers and content creators around but many opt against playing in this space. E-Sport firms are also perhaps reluctant with female talent because there is no barriers between the genders and the big games house so many established names and there is endless male talent coming through. It would help if more females watched e-sports and Universities actively encouraged and backed players moving into this space as much as they were eager to chase the money in the industry through 'scholarships'. Mandatory mixed teams could also be a consideration and would set an example for other teams and competitions to follow. 

 

I think a few female pro gamers and streamers in existence have put a lot of males off watching and females from entering the industry because of behavior on the likes of Twitch and during competitions previous. This has been another factor that has had a serious ongoing impact and perhaps why they wouldn't be trusted or taken seriously when there is big money up for grabs.  Womens MMA has proven there is a huge market to tap into and I think e-Sports is something that can print money but the videogame industry in regards to pro gaming is a pile of unregulated and classless shite. It's all about the money first and foremost and until the very foundations of the concept are improved, it will sadly remain this way.  A lot of people buying into this space like universities are fucking clueless as it is - they just see the bottom line and to hell on how it is earned.

[RenFengge 1,036]

45 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

In regards to the article, my first thoughts are; why weren't there videogame scholarships back in my day😅

 

 

Lolz. I'm sure there were competitions at least in your day! I participated in a few as a kid... so there had to be some for you! And, what are scholarships except free money that's tagged for a specific use?

 

46 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

I actually think the whole thing is stupid (videogame scholarships) really - bit like how in China they have Influencer Degrees for TikTok and other social media shit. Not sure if it's because I haven't moved with the times but I'd rather see investment in people for crucial life skills that they cannot earn outside of their household. Anybody can pick up and play a videogame but you can't become a Doctor or Scientist without some extensive paid education and encouragement. This whole charade sounds like a quick cash-in for Universities and Colleges a bit like how real sport teams now have an e-sport team on the side for that extra pocket money. 

 

My thinking is that if we're going to give athletic scholarships for a talent that basically has a time limit, why not for eSports? eSports talent has just as much of a time limit like playing basketball. Once you're past a certain age, it doesn't matter. You're never going to hit those buttons/keys as quickly as you did when you were 16/17/18/etc.

 

If these scholarships give more people an opportunity to get a good/great education that they probably couldn't get otherwise due to circumstances, then let universities throw money at them.

 

49 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

In regards to the gender gap, although a lot of females play videogames, it's still dominated heavily by males because more opt to play professionally within the popular games and many have been around for a long time. There are some excellent and highly-skilled female streamers and content creators around but many opt against playing in this space. E-Sport firms are also perhaps reluctant with female talent because there is no barriers between the genders and the big games house so many established names and there is endless male talent coming through. It would help if more females watched e-sports and Universities actively encouraged and backed players moving into this space as much as they were eager to chase the money in the industry through 'scholarships'. Mandatory mixed teams could also be a consideration and would set an example for other teams and competitions to follow. 

 

"Many opt against playing in this space" --> True. Have you wondered why? There is a difference between having some control in the content created and dealing with trash online while being in your own room than having to do that in a set space with teammates and in a public arena. Have you wondered how many of those highly competent women would be part of an eTeam if they could just do it all from their own setup at home?

 

"Endless male talent coming through" --> just because their focus is on one area doesn't mean that it isn't there in a different area. Just because I'm out in an apple orchard in the north east end of it picking my bushel of apples doesn't me the south west end of the orchard doesn't have apples. It's a choice. A biased choice in where the talent comes from... or where they choose to see where it is.

 

54 minutes ago, J4MES OX4D said:

I think a few female pro gamers and streamers in existence have put a lot of males off watching and females from entering the industry because of behavior on the likes of Twitch and during competitions previous. This has been another factor that has had a serious ongoing impact and perhaps why they wouldn't be trusted or taken seriously when there is big money up for grabs.  Womens MMA has proven there is a huge market to tap into and I think e-Sports is something that can print money but the videogame industry in regards to pro gaming is a pile of unregulated and classless shite. It's all about the money first and foremost and until the very foundations of the concept are improved, it will sadly remain this way.  A lot of people buying into this space like universities are fucking clueless as it is - they just see the bottom line and to hell on how it is earned.

 

And what did these few women pro-gamers do to "turn off" viewers? Were they not pretty enough? Not in a low cut top? The lighting didn't jive with their makeup? Or, was it the alternative? They were and then weren't taken seriously? What is the happy medium for a women to play in eSports competitions where they could be taken seriously?

 

Do we want to shit on those few pro-gamer women who are trying to forge that path for others to follow? For not knowing how to balance what societal expectations are when it comes to negotiating and getting what they want? Because it's expected for men to be "better negotiators" for money, but if a woman dares to do anything but accept what is offered, we are considered "difficult" and "bitchy"?

 

I love women's MMA. It's 100% pure talent and no one gives a shit on your makeup or boob size. It's partially why things like CrossFit, weightlifting, and combat martial arts are my other safe places aside from video gaming at home.