Ygam’s Gaming & Esports Programme: Educating and Protecting Young Gamers

The Gaming & Esports Programme is a fresh initiative developed by Ygam, focusing on the education and protection of young gamers.

Program Launch and Objectives

• The charity’s latest program underwent a pilot launch earlier this year.
• Lia Thompson, the President of the Gaming & Esports Society at Sheffield Hallam University, emphasizes the significance of addressing inappropriate behavior and ensuring the safety of young gamers.

The charity, known for its award-winning efforts in educating and safeguarding young individuals from the harms associated with gaming and gambling, has expanded its range of preventive initiatives by introducing a new program that targets young gamers.

The Gaming & Esports Programme: A Comprehensive Approach to Key Issues

This well-rounded initiative will tackle a variety of crucial topics, including the impact of advertising and the progression of gaming mechanics. It will also address:

• Virtual currencies
• Microtransactions
• How gaming affects motivation and mental health

Ygam’s Gaming & Esports Programme will also explore the potential of esports as a viable career option, along with other relevant topics in the gaming and gambling sectors. Ultimately, the new program aims to create a safer, more supportive environment for young individuals, as stated by Ygam in a press release.

Program Pilot and Feedback

Earlier in February, the charity carried out a pilot launch of the same program, which was presented to the youth at the Sheffield United Community Foundation and esports students from Sheffield Hallam University.

According to Ygam, the pilot was effectively executed and well-received by both the young participants and the officials from the university and foundation.

Preventing the Normalization of Inappropriate Behavior

Lia Thompson, President of the Gaming & Esports Society at Sheffield Hallam University, who participated in the pilot session, expressed her enthusiasm:

I believe this new Ygam programme is crucial. The Gaming and Esports industry is heading in the right direction with improved mechanisms to report inappropriate behavior, but safeguarding measures need to be in place beforehand.

Thompson highlighted the importance of bringing attention to such inappropriate conduct, with the objective of preventing it from becoming normalized. The University’s President added:

If we can encourage young people to consider this from an early stage, we can prevent it from occurring in the first place, and Ygam’s new programme significantly contributes to this goal.

Thompson shared that she has observed such inappropriate behaviors as a woman in the gaming industry from an early age, noting that many young individuals mistakenly perceive it as the acceptable way to behave to gain community acceptance. However, she emphasized:

This does not represent your true self, and enabling toxic behavior online is not acceptable.

Finally, Thompson reiterated the importance of Ygam’s program, predicting that it could assist young people and reduce inappropriate behavior.

Conclusion

This initiative comes at a time when the global esports market has experienced substantial growth and is expected to continue expanding. By 2032, the esports sector is projected to reach a value of $10.91bn. Meanwhile, as of 2024, over 80% of young adults aged 16 to 24 are expected to engage with video games. Undoubtedly, Ygam’s new program will play a vital role in delivering education and safeguarding young individuals in the gaming industry.