– I was sad when I read it. The statement came out wrong.
This is what Frank Pedersen, the father of one of Norway’s most famous gamers, Emil August Bergquist Pedersen (18), tells Dagbladet.
The 18-year-old, who goes by the gamer name «Nyhrox», became 2019 world champion in the computer game «Fortnite».
More reactions
It was in an interview with VG about July 22 that Prime Minister Erna Solberg (H) said that we need “better tools, especially to reach those who sit in the boys’ room, engage in gaming and get into extreme environments”.
The statement has led to several reactions on social media. The podcast “Nerdelandslaget”, which is run by, among others, the TV profile Stian Blipp, reacts strongly:
– The fact that Prime Minister Erna Solberg draws direct parallels between “those who sit in the boys’ room, engage in gaming” – ie 96% of boys under 18 (according to the Norwegian Media Authority) – and extreme environments, shows that we have a long way to go in recognizing the gaming medium as a legitimate cultural expression, wrote the podcast on Twitter on Thursday.
MET: The Prime Minister and Pedersen met during the Sports Gala in January 2020. Photo: Private
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– Is hit hard on
Pedersen tells Dagbladet that neither racism nor other forms of incitement are something that takes place in the son’s environment.
– It is rather the opposite. I have seen for myself that if someone discovers it, it is hit hard. Other gamers then call about the people who are provoked, says the father.
He also adds that “Nyhrox” is very concerned about equality, that no one should be subjected to incitement, and that his son is an ambassador for Unicef.
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Can understand Solberg
Despite the reaction, the gaming father also has a certain understanding of the Prime Minister’s plot:
– I can understand that she mentions it. This industry is extremely large, and there may be cases where there are people who sit and play without goals and meaning. The cases I have seen are mainly about racism, but what is the cause, I will not speculate too much.
Finally, Pedersen emphasizes that this is something professional e-sports athletes work to prevent.
– They take it very seriously, says the father.
Responded to message
The Prime Minister himself responded to the reactions via Twitter on Thursday night:
– I do not draw direct parallels between playing and extreme environments. I say I want better tools to reach those who sit and gamer and are drawn into extreme environments. Alone activists, radicalized online, are the ones who are most difficult to get an overview of, wrote Solberg.
Steep against Erna video: – Not okay
– A work that never ends
Dagbladet has on Friday been in contact with the Prime Minister’s office, to hear what she thinks about the statement today. State Secretary Rune Alstadsæter (H) has the following to say about the case:
– The Prime Minister thinks of gaming as both learning, sports and an important social arena for young people. At the same time, she has raised that it can also be a challenge for some, people who are isolated with the Internet as the only point of contact, Alstadsæter says to Dagbladet.
He then adds that it can be a challenge that there are people who live in exclusion, and who are radicalized via various forums and sites online.
– We must do even more to reach these people – and prevent them from being radicalized. The Conservatives in government have been working systematically since 2013 to combat hate speech and extremism. We have launched concrete measures to meet people of all ages, but this is work that never ends, says the Secretary of State.
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