It's no big secret that online gaming is a toxic environment. However in my experience not many people make the connection between this toxicity and the concepts of masculinity. Gaming is viewed as a boys' club and the vocal boys in the community latch onto this and do their best to reinforce it at every opportunity. Anonymity coupled with a sense of entitlement leads to excessive use of slurs and sexist behavior, often inciting violence against others. These behaviors very rarely have any consequences and are often applauded by peers.
The linked article discusses this issue to some extent and I'd like to pose the same question they did: How will we solve this? I personally think the first step is for the developers of these games to be more vigilant in removing these toxic players from their communities and more vocal about their stance on this issue.
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