Re:Christchurch shooter was radicalized on YouTube, New Zeal...
by user-the-name on Tuesday December 08, 2020 @10:35AM
(#25346559)
D&D has its problems, yes. But it is nothing like Youtube in how strongly it drives radicalisation.
* Innate race-specific characteristics [1] steeped in centuries of colonialism
* An antiquated notion of intelligence (INT) that neglects other types of intelligence (emotional, linguistic, spatial, etc.)
* A strong focus on collecting currency (gold, silver, platinum) and hoarding items that exacerbate wealth inequality
* The illusion of a meritocracy where higher level characters have "earned" their rank and enjoy the benefits of easier gameplay
* A problematic reference to Adolf Hitler's charisma [2] that was claimed to be misquoted but was still stricken from further editions of the manual
The list goes on, but it should be easy to see how D&D can be a gateway to further radicalization and dehumanization.
[1] https://www.polygon.com/2020/6/23/21300653/dungeons-dragons-...
[2] http://www.theescapist.com/basic_gaming_faq.htm#hitler