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Philanthropic, prosocial players: How game-related charity events motivate unlikely donors

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Abstract

Although we have long known that many different types of individuals play video games, the stereotypical “gamer” is often portrayed as a young male. Furthermore, research into questions such as violence and aggression, addiction or problematic play, and toxic gaming communities tends to frame gamers and gaming as anti-social. From a philanthropic perspective, then, gamers appear to be unlikely candidates for charitable giving. Following attendance at a fundraising game tournament for Gamers Outreach, a non-profit charity that provides video game systems to children’s hospitals, this research team conducted a survey of attendees. Our findings suggest that gamers are willing to support and monetarily contribute to a cause they believe in, but also that engaging potential donors through their preexisting interests and communities—in this case, games—can be a productive form of outreach. Finally, participants recognized and sought to combat gaming’s anti-social stereotypes, revealing a further motivation behind their charitable behavior.

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Ice bucket challenge" donations for A.L.S. research top $41 million. The New York Times
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Steel E (2014) "Ice bucket challenge" donations for A.L.S. research top $41 million. The New York Times, 21 August. Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/22/business/ media/ice-bucket-challenge-donations-for-als-top-41-million.html (accessed 31 October 2019).