For the first time, TikTokers, YouTubers and Twitch streamers are working together to reach millions of Gen Z gamers with the facts on why they’re safer unarmed
CHICAGO – To reach young gamers with the facts on why they’re safer unarmed, the gun violence prevention organization Project Unloaded launched a new campaign in partnership with more than a dozen Gen Z gaming content creators with a combined following of more than 6.3 million. The campaign, Leave Guns in the Game, is designed to reach young people with the facts on why guns make them less safe through gaming creators they already follow and trust. Rather than blaming video games for gun violence, the campaign makes it clear: Guns may be power-ups in gaming, but in real life, guns add risk.
“While developing this campaign, we were surprised and heartened by the enthusiastic response from gaming creators who were hungry to broach this topic with their young audiences,” said Project Unloaded founder and president Nina Vinik. “It’s no secret that many teens and young adults play video games, or that the threat of gun violence weighs heavily on this generation. We’re grateful to launch this campaign with so many strong partners who care deeply about their young audiences and want to help keep them safe.”
The campaign builds on the ongoing conversation on how gaming can serve as a positive mental health intervention tool for Gen Z and promote healthier mindsets. A key element of this campaign is empowering young people exposed to guns through video games to recognize the real-life risks of having a gun around. About half of teens play video games daily, and about two-thirds of those games include weapons or combat. At the same time, many young people are worried about gun violence in their schools and communities. Roughly the same amount of young people worry about a mass shooting weekly or more.
“In some games, you can’t win without a gun,” said Joel Siegel, a Project Unloaded Youth Council member and high school senior from Kansas City, Missouri, who advised on the campaign. “But you have to remember that real life isn’t a video game. Outside of video games, guns usually lead to losses. Guns make us less safe. We’re safer when we decide against using them, or even owning them.”
Gun portrayals in gaming can weigh into how young people perceive guns. A third of teens, including half of boys and young men, name video games as a key source for learning about guns. In addition to educating young people about the risks that come with gun use, the campaign also encourages gamers to tell friends struggling with their mental health to avoid firearms, which are linked to increased suicide risk.
The campaign kicked off this morning with a Twitch and TikTok livestream during which Project Unloaded’s program manager Olivia Brown played Fortnite alongside content creator @lqwidtv, who has more than 270,000 followers across TikTok, Twitch and YouTube. As they streamed, they talked together about the risks guns present in the world outside of gaming.
Gamers can learn more and join the campaign at LeaveGunsInTheGame.com.