Ahead of Safer Internet Day 2022, Catch22 hosted a virtual event to explore online gaming – from the opportunities it can present for young people and the skills it can develop, to the challenges of safely encouraging one of the fastest-growing industries.
Bringing together young gamers, policy professionals, and employers, the event explored topics such as how skills from gaming can equip people for the job market, the social benefits of gaming and how great relationships are built through gaming, and the safety risks and online harms relating to gaming – and how they can be tackled.
Our panellists included:
- UKIE Head of Campaigns and Communications, and Games Aid Co-Chair, George Osborn,
- Women in Games Partnerships Director, Lucy Rissik,
- Game Academy Co-Founder, David Barrie,
- Parent Zone Research and Development Director, and More than Robots Founder, Cliff Manning, and
- young gamer and Catch22 service user Roderick.
Closing the event, Catch22’s Director of Partnerships, Kat Dixon, said:
“Exploring the agency of games in this immersive experience – what it means to be a protagonist in a movie – is a wonderful way to explore some of the benefits of gaming.”