Education

Given that half of mental health disorders (including depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and others) start by age 14, and three quarters by age 24 early recognition and treatment of the potential impacts of discriminations and aggressions will help protect children’s and adolescents’ current and future mental health, development, learning, and wellbeing. Over the last 40 years, computer games have become an extremely popular leisure activity and more recently there has also been interest in the potential of serious games to help in learning, skill acquisition and attitude and behavior change. Indeed, a growing body of research shows the promise and efficacy of serious games, and technology‐based or digital interventions in general, in improving the health and well‐being of youngsters that experience discriminations and aggressions (e.g., discriminations and unequal treatment due to their gender and/or ethnicity; aggression linked to bullying and cyberbullying; teen dating violence, etc.). Within an intersectional framework, most forms of discrimination and aggression experienced by youngsters may have the same root. Intersectionality has become a central framework for understanding multiple, interacting, and context-dependent forms of social and health (dis)advantage based on social identity and position. Intersectionality scholars argue that inequalities do not necessarily increase linearly with each additional non-dominant social identity or position, and that the study of one form of discrimination at a time will obscure the experiences of groups facing intersecting forms of discrimination. Perceived discrimination represents one such potential mechanism but examining its role in generating inequalities requires measures that function across intersectional groups. In this perspective, we believe that education on gender equality is an essential foundation to improve our society. Many of the current inequality or sexist situations have their roots at a very young age, when the mindset is constructed, and stereotypes are created and fixed. At such young ages, education is essential. Also, in these ages, videogames are an interactive tool with a massive use that can provide benefits beyond entertainment. We consider that videogames can be effectively used for improving gender equality education and combating further discrimination and aggression among youngsters.