Evolving Games - From Youth to Young Adult Safety in Gaming With Matt Soeth

This week, Larry speaks with longtime ConnectSafely partner Matthew Soeth, head of the nonprofit Thriving in Games group, about why online games matter and how to make multiplayer gaming safer and more fun.

They discuss the social, cognitive, and teamwork benefits of gaming and esports, including opportunities for neurodivergent youth, and how design choices (like player matching and communication settings) can reduce friction and harassment while encouraging helping behaviors.

Matt addresses toxicity, misogyny, moderation, and community self-regulation, and explains why research does not link violent games to offline violence, emphasizing attention to broader behavioral indicators and parent-child conversations. He shares practical parenting advice on setting limits, shared screen time, and staying engaged, and shares his podcast, Safety Is Redacted.

00:00 Welcome to Doing Tech Right

00:28 Meet Matthew Soes

01:58 Why Kids Love Games

03:06 Gaming Goes Mainstream

05:15 Skills and Esports Benefits

07:00 Toxicity and Game Design

10:48 Sportsmanship and Cheating

14:24 Violence and Ratings

18:22 Stereotypes and Overuse