I'm a gamer, and I hope my use of that term has brought some associated images and descriptors to mind. For those of you out there who consider yourselves to be part of the blanket-termed "gaming community," you may or may not have encountered a few people who are all too happy to assume that your love for games is some kind of childish hobby or an escape route from the woes of reality. Now, I'm not going to hop on the over-generalization bandwagon and start throwing around baseless accusations; gamers are, by and large, regular people who happen to enjoy spending their free time in a certain way, and we aren't usually singled out by those who spend their time differently. With that being said, one particular issue for which the gaming community tends to be criticized -- and rightly so -- is one that is depressingly prevalent in many circles of gamers: discrimination.

Allow me to clarify what constitutes "discrimination" within the gaming community. In most circles, usually among more competitive or serious gamers, it starts with hazing. This can come in different forms, ranging from the usual trash talk and banter that flies back and forth in voice chat to more focused insults and the targeting of specific individuals for their play style, their personality, or some other factors that rubbed someone the wrong way. Granted, a certain level of trash talk is expected in the competitive scene, and for better or for worse, that expectation is here to stay. In some twisted way, hazing the less-experienced, less-skilled players has become a rite of passage -- the idea is that if you can survive the dirt being dished and dish some out in return, you have a better chance of making it in competitive play.

Another possible approach to discrimination is to simply avoid taking less-experienced players seriously. For instance, among the players who regularly attend the weekly Smash Bros. tournaments at my local venue, there is one individual who frequently asks for advice and states their thoughts on the obstacles they face within the game. These discussions have been increasingly one-sided, as some of the more established players immediately bombard the player in question with memes, snide remarks, and jokes at their expense. Several of the offending parties don't even compete in the same brackets, let alone play the same game, and yet they feel compelled to openly voice their disdain and create an atmosphere devoid of respect for not only that particular individual, but any other players who may be feeling or thinking along the same lines.

At their worst, these approaches are directly stunting the growth of any gaming community that wishes to grow and receive wider recognition. Putting new players through a gauntlet of hazing and borderline harassment not only prevents a fair number of them from feeling welcome -- it's also self-perpetuating, as many who make it through the process turn around and impose these behaviors on those who would follow in their footsteps. Since gaming does in fact offer relief and escape from everyday problems, these behaviors inject heavy doses of toxicity into what should rightly be safe havens for many players.

The question to ask ourselves now is, "What can we do to make gaming more inclusive?" Simply put, it reflects far better on the gaming community to be friendly and accepting of all types than it does to be the opposite. There's no harm in sacrificing a bit of our overly-competitive edge for the sake of bringing in more players, and when a specific scene is flourishing, people will be more comfortable with the prospect of their friends and family playing competitive games. Transfer this learning to other areas of your life, and you'll find these things to be perfectly applicable elsewhere. We're not going to break down the borders of the world overnight, but we -- especially competitive gamers -- can start by putting our egos aside and focusing on the common interests we share with other human beings. Then, and only then, can our community reach its full potential.